First Class Ugly
by Ookami-Shoujo
Summary: Please, please, please let her be a sweet old granny with milk and cookies' was Kawasaki Kenta's plea as he headed towards Genkai's temple to learn more about Yusuke and Kuwabara. After all, how much did the average student know about them? Not much.
1. Thursday

I've been inactive for quite some time. But this story has been roaming around my computer for about a year or so (though I am not even close to completing it) ever since I realized how biased I used to be towards Kuwabara when I was younger. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I have no claim on Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, there would be joy in my heart.

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Chapter 1 – The Perfect Story

My name is Kawasaki Kenta. I'm a writer for the Sarayashiki Junior High School Paper—rather I'm their top news reporter and a highly valued member. Unfortunately, not everyone sees my merit and dazzling skill at writing along with my ability to get the facts straight, so I'm being threatened with expulsion from the paper…unless I can find a really good story to bring back the glam in my column. Being such a valued member, of course there are many offers of help and advice—namely none. Damn ingrates. I handpicked most of the staff that now runs the paper, and this is how they pay me back for my hours of assistance and dedication. So I'm sitting there at my desk, eating my peanut butter and chocolate sandwich while staring at my laptop with a writer's block, when it finally hits me.

I need someone who can rock the masses. Someone considered an outsider, yet still famous enough to be recognized in the hallways. Or rather…infamous. He's never been one to come to school, and lately it's been even worse. He hasn't vandalized anything or threatened anyone's livelihood for the past few months and the whole school has been on edge, waiting for the blowup Urameshi Yusuke is certain to have planned.

I can't believe I've never thought of it before. Urameshi is the perfect topic for my column, and he is news everyone wants to know about. What makes him tick? What makes him decide which people to beat up and which to leave alone. And the all-too-familiar question most guys have asked themselves—and I am no exception—how the hell did he get a babe like Yukimura Keiko?

Secretly, I've always envied him. He's been able to do anything he likes, and go against the grain. He doesn't have to listen to rules, he wears the wrong uniform color, and still has a beautiful girlfriend that is willing to put up with all the swearing, the violence, and the delinquency. And I guess that's part of the reason why learning more about him is such a tempting story for me; I want to understand his secret and how he can be so feared by everyone yet still so respected and loved by someone as sweet and intelligent as Yukimura-san.

My plan is to first approach those who know him best. I only know of two: the lovely Yukimura Keiko and the ugly hulk of a man Kuwabara Kazuma. So I have to catch up on the gossip and information about Urameshi and then find out the truth from these two. Perhaps they can even give me a tip off on other people who might give me what I need. I refuse to go to Urameshi's mother for answers though.

I remember seeing Urameshi's mother once; I had offered to go get a quote from her about Urameshi's supposed death. At the time it seemed like a really good idea. Not only was I raising my worth in Watari-sensei's eyes, who ran the newspaper with an iron fist without the velvet glove, I also got the inside scoop on what really had happened. I got something unexpected though, and it really set me back.

When I knocked on the door, she opened it after a few minutes of banging and crashes, and I was stunned to see her looking so exhausted and unhappy. I mean, of course, she should be saddened because of the loss of her son, but I did not expect the extent she brought that misery.

She had stared at me blankly when I tried to explain my purpose, and only when she placed a hand on my shoulder did I notice the stench that came from a mixture of unwashed skin and alcohol. She had been drunk and in tears the whole time, and in the end I felt so bad for asking for a quote that I left before even getting an answer. We had to make one up and I was blamed for that failure. I don't think I could ever face her again after so ruthlessly pressing on about her son when she was still in mourning over the loss. I had never been as grateful for Urameshi's will to live as I had been when he returned to school alive and healthy.

Even now, I can still remember her red, blotted face and pathetic cry of "Yusuke, you damn liar, god damn it, please don't leave me!". I have to wonder if my mother would be so upset at my death.

A loud ping from my laptop woke me from my musings, and to my disgruntlement, it was Ren. He is the little twerp who has been trying to usurp my position and fans for the past year. If he didn't have such a genius for writing, I would have tried to fire him the moment he came into the newsroom, damn the consequences. The message read:

_Kenta-kun, _

Yeah right, don't even try to sugarcoat your malicious intent, you filthy devil! My lips couldn't help but curl up in a snarl disdainfully, for even the greeting told me enough. He was trying to gloat.

_My sincerest apologies for the latest hostilities in our newsroom. If it were up to me, I would request the utmost respect for your skill and seniority. It grieves me to see that you may be forced to resign your position soon enough—_

Sure. I bet you're slathering over this like a wolf coming across a lame lamb. Everyone with eyes can see how much you want my job. Heck, you're the cause of most of the "latest hostilities" against me.

_I can only warn you that you have a week to send in your newest story. I pray to Kami that it is enough to convince Watari-sensei that you truly deserve your spot as top reporter. I shall try to remind him of the great things you have done for us and for our beloved paper. Good luck and may your ink run smoothly._

_Your eternal fan and friend,_

_Ren_

If there is one thing I just can't get over with that boy, it's that he's got the smoothest writing I have ever seen. But he's got a lot to learn. Gloating before the game is even up is not a smart move. I'll make sure to rub it in his face after our dear Watari-sensei sees how important I am to our paper. He is right though—I've only got a week at best and Ren will be whispering all sorts of nasty things about me to Watari-sensei. I better get started tomorrow and make the best story possible out of Urameshi's misdemeanors and maybe even a few quotes from sweet Yukimura-san.

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I hope you liked this chapter, and hopefully will continue to read. Thank you for your time.


	2. Friday

Here's the second chapter, which is a bit longer. It also makes me chuckle inside and I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't anything of YYH nature. The only person I own is Mr. Kawasaki Kenta.

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Chapter 2 – Braving Beast's Beauty

After a restless night of ink running down the walls and Ren dancing with Yukimura-san all over Urameshi's casket, I'm glad to just get on the story before I go nuts. It's Friday, and I just can't concentrate that well in class. First I slept through my alarm, which means forget about breakfast, and then I accidentally bumped into one of Kuwabara's ugly goons, who snarled at me and almost had me for his breakfast. At least, I think it was one of his—telling creeps apart really isn't my forte. In class, they kept asking me the only questions I didn't study for, making me look like an idiot in front of everyone, including Yukimura-san! I didn't want this type of attention from her, especially right before I ask to interview her.

During gym class, I can't even do the proper amount of chin-ups and push-ups, and I knew the girls were watching us, because they were given a five-minute break. I think I might have turned a brilliant shade of red when I heard some girls giggling over my pathetic amount of strength. I could have almost liked Kuwabara when he distracted them with his sudden shouts of amazement.

This distraction was a perfect opportunity for me to stop trying to do push-ups, and stare like everyone else at whatever Kuwabara was screeching about. It turned out Urameshi had actually come to class. I felt my heart sink low in my chest when Yukimura-san actually ran over to him and began talking energetically.

Sure, I wanted to write about him, but I'm not stupid enough to actually confront him. He'd probably punch my lights out and steal my wallet.

Looking at him now though, I could swear he actually looked gentle as he apologized to his girlfriend for not showing up to class again. What stunned me the most though was when she actually forgave him and let him take her hand. Her (_beautiful-pale-white-silky-smooth_) hand!

I had originally planned to approach her during gym, but obviously that plan had to be put on hold. My sources told me, though it's not like I try to learn about her (please, that would be consider "stalkerish behavior"), that her parents run a noodle shop of some sort. I just happened to have the address, so hopefully she'll be there after school. Kind daughters like her willingly go home every day to help out at the shop to keep her parents from working too hard.

After school, I begin plan B, and instead of going to the newsroom, I head towards the noodle shop. I just can't wrap my mind around how many push-ups and chin-ups Urameshi did in just five minutes! It's no wonder he's considered the toughest kid in school!

Just as I planned, Yukimura-san is working at the noodle shop. And Urameshi is nowhere in sight! I wanted to crow over my success, but a chattering of nearby girls greeting Yukimura-san quickly reminded me that I better start talking to her now, before she gets swarmed by other people.

Sitting down in a booth, to my relief it is Yukimura-san who comes over to serve me. I place my backpack down in the seat next to me, and almost knock it down with her greeting words.

"Ah! Kawasaki-san! How are you today?" she asked, a dazzling smile lighting her already angelic features.

I almost wanted to cry—she remembered my name! I mean, even though we've been having classes together since grade school, why would she remember my name?

"F-fine Yukimura-san. How about y-you?" I respond as boldly as my shaking body will allow.

"I'm doing wonderful. Would you like something to drink?" Another dazzling smile was shot at my direction, and I almost melted.

"Just w-water please."

"All right." She began to walk away, and I felt panic rising in my throat. Other people had begun coming in, and if I didn't get her to sit down now, I might not be able to recapture her attention.

"Yu-Yukimura-san!" To my surprise, she turned around quickly to look at me.

"Yes?" she inquired in her lovely, lively voice that reminded me of a prized blue jay. I couldn't help but notice the cute lavender apron that had been neatly tied on to her front.

Somehow, even in her most unanticipated moments, Yukimura-san has always been able to appear immaculate and perfect. No one should judge me as being a bit OCD in my constant need for observation, since it is a writer's nature to observe closely every possible detail in order to find the best description. Or at least, that is what I'd like to tell myself.

Bracing myself mentally, I managed to squeak out as smoothly as could be expected: "I'm d-doing a re-report on Urameshi Yu-Yusuke, and I w-was hop-hoping that you would let me interview you?"

I almost wanted to disappear in the ground when she stared at me for a minute, and I readied myself for rejection. Maybe this was what it was like to be laughed at by a girl when you try to ask them out with two different socks and an untucked shirt. If I ever tried asking out one of those angels, I'd be so flustered I probably would dress like that—not that I would ask one out, I'm not crazy. I'm not ready for that kind of dismissal.

"Well, the first hour is always pretty slow, so if you would like to interview me now, I wouldn't mind in the slightest."

That's the kindest denial I've ever heard. Wait. Wait, she just said yes! Unable to believe my ears, I managed to blurt out a loud "Sure!".

"Great. I'll check with my parents to make sure it's all right."

She walked away from my table, and I couldn't help but stare after her in amazement. She actually agreed and I was about to get an hour of alone time with one of the most sought after females in our school. My day suddenly got a whole lot better.

When she didn't appear for a few minutes, I felt an unreasonable pang of fear that she would not reappear and had simply run off with Urameshi to laugh at me for even thinking I deserved an hour with such a perfect girl.

As if to appease all my fears, she came back to the table with an audible sigh. Instead of a graceful glide into the seat in front of me, she plopped down noisily, messing up her apron with wrinkles when she twisted part of the edge with one hand. Obviously Urameshi was having an effect on her actions.

"So, you are writing about Yusuke this week?" she asked, an interested expression on her face.

"Yeah, I've been on a writer's block for several weeks now and it just hit me. I realized that there are many people out there who want to know a bit more about Urameshi…san." So into my story, I almost forgot to add the –san to appear more respectful, for Yukimura-san's sake. Surprisingly, because of this sudden focus on my topic, I lost most of my nervous speech patterns.

She seemed both amused and nervous about something, though it didn't show in her words. "Well, first of all, you don't need to add that –san. I can tell you don't know Yusuke that well." Her doe eyes sparkled happily as she spoke, and I felt a stab of envy at Urameshi for being able to make her that cheerful, even just as a thought. "And you can call me Keiko if you like, Kawasaki-san."

I eagerly grasped a hold of this opportunity to address her with such familiarity and added with sudden insight, "If you like Keiko-san. But it would be an honor if you called me Kenta."

She nodded pleasantly, trying out my name. "Very well Kenta-san. So, what type of questions do you have for me?"

I almost dropped my backpack as I dove for my pen and notebook. Fumbling around, I manage out my words with the fewest grunts possible. "Well, I have heard a lot of gossip and rumors about Urameshi, but I don't really know what his true and what isn't. I've heard everything from he's the gang leader of some Underground, to he's actually a genius in hiding, even to the idea of him being a demon!"

Keiko's laugh came out so loudly that new customers started and stared at our table in surprise. "A demon? How silly!" For some reason, I could swear that her sweet laughter was a bit forced.

"Yes well, I can see how those rumors are a bit ridiculous." I noted her shoulders relaxing further. "And I was hoping I could learn what Urameshi is really like. Who is he? What does he do outside of school? And…" I hesitated, before finally blurting out my final though when she looked at me with empathetic encouragement. "I was also curious about how you and he ended up together?" My statement ended up as a question.

A blush lightly graced her features at my mention of her relationship with Urameshi and both of her pale, slender hands came up to touch her cheeks. I have never seen Keiko-san so shy before. It was quite becoming, and I hesitated to speak again and break the moment.

As if to make up for our awkward silence, the latest customers began laughing loudly, continuing their incessant chatter. Glancing at them, I couldn't believe my eyes. The whole news team was sitting down, eating udon and chuckling over something my _esteemed_ colleague Ren had said. I could tell by the smug air he held around him, that he was congratulating himself on taking over my team.

Ah! I quickly turned back to Keiko-san who had already regained her composure when Ren looked over at my direction. That was close. I better get out of here before he decides to come over and bother poor Keiko-san. Standing up, I offered her my arm as any gentleman should. "Umm, Keiko-san, this place is getting a bit too rowdy. I was hoping we could maybe take a walk instead and get some fresh air."

To my surprise, she ignored my offered arm and stood up. "Certainly! Okaasan has been insisting that I get out of the shop for a while. Maybe then you'll actually start the interview?" Was that a teasing tone in her voice?

"Y-yes, of course!" Curse my stammering. I thought I had gotten rid of you!

We headed outside and away from the crowds of traitors. I wanted terribly to impress her, but nothing came to mind. Instead my mind couldn't help but begin focusing on the real task. "So Keiko-san…can you tell me what Urameshi has been doing outside school?"

To my surprise, she gave a rather vague answer. "Oh…nothing much. Just being Yusuke. He sure fights a lot I guess."

I tried again. "Uh, what does he like to do?"

"Avoiding school. Fighting. Stupid stuff." She waved a hand dismissively.

"How did you and he get together?" There it was. The real question everyone wanted answered.

"It's a pretty long story, and honestly a bit embarrassing." Her tone implied that she didn't really want to talk about it. I couldn't help but wonder why she even agreed to this interview if she wasn't going to give me any real information. The way Keiko-san acted when we spoke about Urameshi was certainly different than what I always thought she would act like.

Hiding my disappointment at her short answers, I decided on a different approach. "I hear Urameshi and Kuwabara are friends now."

She glanced over at me and nodded. "It's great isn't it? I always felt a bit sorry for Kuwabara when Yusuke used to beat him up. At least now they actually talk."

"Are you friends with Kuwabara too?"

"I guess so. I certainly talk more with him during school time than Yusuke." I think even an obvious knucklehead like her boyfriend would be able to hear the derision in her voice. I was uncertain if it was towards Kuwabara because of who he is or towards Urameshi for never coming to school. Suspecting the latter, I decided to test my theory.

"I should warn you Keiko-san…" She looked at me in confusion. "There have been some rumors about you and Kuwabara."

Keiko-san had a very blank expression on her face, as if she had no idea what I was talking about. "What do you mean Kenta-san?"

"Well, I have heard that some people have seen you and Kuwabara together in an incident that happened some months back. Apparently, he…um…groped you and you promptly slapped him." I noticed her expression changing, as if my words had prompted some strange memory. "Then people say that you two talked for awhile like lovers and you embraced. Before...uh...promptly slapping him again."

She looked embarrassed, and would not answer me at first, head ducked down and eyes staring at the ground as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. After a few minutes of silent walking, she finally spoke, stammering and blushing. "W-well, Kuwabara is usually very kind and gentle. Honestly, it was a bit of a surprise to me that he would ever be so crass. Bu-but I assure you Kenta-san, that we are merely good friends."

I was not convinced, and apparently, it showed on my face and in my silence because she continued to babble out sentences about Kuwabara. "He is a very sweet boy though, and I think it's rather unfair that he is always judged by his appearance."

It was incomprehensible to me. How could someone as beautiful and intelligent as Yukimura Keiko actually compliment a cruel boor like Kuwabara? Had she lost all her senses? "Why would you say that Keiko-san? He's just an ugly idiot who likes to hurts others," I said irritably, bothered by her liking for him.

Perhaps I spoke too quickly and thoughtlessly, because the moment those words left my mouth, Keiko-san's expression turned stormy.

"Don't you dare say such things like that about Kuwabara! If it's anyone who is an idiot, it's people like you!" She walked away quickly, leaving me staring in astonishment at her quick temper. I had never seen Keiko-san angry before, except at Urameshi.

What could I do? Helplessly, I followed, trailing after her without the faintest idea of how to make her slow down. "W-wait…Keiko-san."

Her head turned slightly towards my direction, but her feet did not slow. I could tell I only had moments to make things right again before she would completely deprive me of her presence.

"I'm sorry. I spoke cruelly and without any real knowledge about Kuwabara. Maybe you're right…but I have never seen an insightful side of him before."

I almost ran into her when she suddenly stopped. Her hands were clasped tightly against her sides, and all my hopes of her forgiveness were dashed when she sent a disdainful glare my way. "If you can't see the goodness in Kuwabara, then how could you ever understand the way Yusuke thinks? Even if I really gave you the interview you wanted, I doubt the story would even come close to the truth." An accusing finger jabbed near my face, and I half-expected her to slap me. "You would just write some prejudiced _crap_ about what a horrible person Yusuke is and some made-up story about how he killed a man or something. Don't expect my help if you're just trying to get some quick fame for daring to write about him."

Here it comes. The final humiliating blow. I know she's going to hit me now.

"You know what's wrong with people like you? You can't see passed your miserable little lives to realize that there are people out there who aren't at all what you judge them to be!"

I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for her to smack me. When the blow did not come, and she did not say anything more, I finally opened one eye to find her looking away from me, wiping away a tear. None of her words could have ever made me feel like a heel the same way her tears did. I could never stand it when a woman cried, and I had never thought I'd make Keiko-san cry.

I wanted desperately to place a hand on her shoulder, or to offer her any comfort that I could. How could I though, when I was the one who made her cry so quietly? "I…I am sorry Keiko-san. I really did not mean it. Please…please give me another chance to talk to you. I really do want to understand Ura…Yusuke. I really do!"

My sincere words reached her I guess, because she looked up at me and actually gave me a smile that forgave in a way no words could.

"All right Kenta-san. But…maybe you should try talking to someone a little closer to Yusuke."

"Like who?" Did she mean Kuwabara?

"Like Yusuke himself! You say that you really want to get to know him. Well, meeting him and talking to him is the best way to do so!"

I really didn't want to meet the infamous Urameshi Yusuke, no matter how much I wanted to understand him. Learning about him from afar and speaking to a boy that can easily beat me up are completely two different things. But if I refused, she would think I was insincere, and probably never speak to me again.

"O-okay."

Perhaps sensing my fear, she smiled reassuringly, wiping away the last of her tears. "Don't worry, I'll ask Yusuke to be on his best behavior. I think he'll be free next Wednesday."

"Wednesday?" I was stunned that it was so late. "But my story is due Thursday! Is there any way you could get him to meet me sooner?"

"Sorry, but he's going to be away till Wednesday…that's why he actually came to gym today. To tell me." She looked saddened, and it occurred to me that she was going to miss him.

I didn't want her to cry again, so I agreed with her terms. "Wednesday then."

"Meet him at my parent's noodle shop. He'll be there at four, so don't be late. And don't worry. I'll make sure no one bothers you two." And with that said she nodded, sealing our agreement with a simple motion.

A thoughtful look crossed her face, and she said to me, "If you really need to talk to someone else about him, you could always try talking to Minamino Shuuichi. He's good friends with Yusuke. I'd like to tell you more, but I have to go and help out at the shop. Thanks for the walk."

Before I could even respond, she quickly hurried off, waving. And with that parting gesture, my hour with the lovely Yukimura Keiko was over. I had made her smile, laugh, cry, and scream all in that short amount of time. It made me wonder what it would be like to be her boyfriend for a few months.

All in all, she was almost nothing like what I had expected. She was not demure or polite when it came to her opinions. She respected the two toughest bullies in our school. She wasn't afraid to yell at a boy she barely knew. All these facts led me to realize that Keiko-san was right. I had judged her to be one way, and in this one hour she had destroyed every misconception and fantasy I had created about her.

Which reminded me about what she had said. Minamino Shuuichi was the name she had mentioned. I have heard of him before. He doesn't go to the same junior high as us, but his intelligence is famous. Maybe I should go and meet him. The one problem is that I haven't the faintest idea of where he lives. Looks like I'll be cracking open the phone books tonight. Well, at least I finally got a lead, and I have a suspicion he won't be as dramatic as the pretty but surprisingly volatile Yukimura Keiko. Thank goodness for that.

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Well that's it for now. Thanks for reading!


	3. Saturday

Sorry for the long wait for this chapter! I have been rather busy, but now shall continue. Enter Kurama!

And to **Silverchild of the winds**, **Amanda**, and **loretta537**—thank you for your reviews, and I hope this chapter meets with your approval.

**Disclaimer:** I have no rights over Yu Yu Hakusho. Just Kawasaki Kenta—ace reporter (or so he'd like to say).

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Chapter 3 – Foxiest Man I Ever Met

After four hours of tedious researching and questioning, I finally discovered two potential addresses that I intended to visit on Saturday. The only setback, though, was that the two addresses were on opposite sides of the city. After eating breakfast and a quick set of goodbyes to my parents, I quickly set off for the first address, in hopes of finding this elusive Minamino Shuuichi. To my dismay, no one knew who Shuuichi was and I now had a growing hole in the wall of my wallet because of the transportation costs. Also I think that strange lady really thought I was in her yard to steal her pumpkins...which would explain why I spent half an hour being chased by a huge Doberman. Who grows pumpkins in Japan? Though I do have to admire that tiny woman for being able to control a huge slathering demon like that dog.

The next site was definitely more fruitful. When I reached the house and knocked on the door, a much kinder woman came out. She was very pretty for an older lady and had a certain air around her that made me want her to like me. "Excuse me ma'am…is Shuuichi home?" I asked in my most respectful tone.

"Yes he is. Would you like to come in?" She had a very gentle smile, yet the way she moved as she fully opened the door reminded me of a frail doll that could break if mishandled.

As I followed her, she had a few polite questions to ask me, and I found myself trying to give her the best answer possible. Something about her made me want to tell her everything, no matter how irrelevant the information is.

"So are you Shuuichi's friend from school?"

"Ah, no ma'am. I'm actually not from his school. But I wanted to interview him about Urameshi Yusuke. This girl, Yukimura Keiko, told me to ask for Shuuichi. I've actually never met him before."

We reached the kitchen, and she offered me a refreshment before I met with her son. I wanted to decline since I wasn't that thirsty, but something in her smiling eyes forced me to agree to it. I don't even like this flavor of tea that much, but I couldn't help but sip at it every few seconds.

"Excuse me for a moment. I'll go get Shuuichi." She disappeared from the room, before briefly reappearing. "Sorry, I forgot to ask for your name."

"Um, it's Kawasaki Kenta." I took another sip of the tea.

"Kenta-kun. I'll see if he's busy with his studies or not." Gracing me with another pleasant smile, she silently slipped from the room.

As I stood there awkwardly holding a tea I didn't want but couldn't help drinking, my mind wandered to the strange comparison of Minamino-san and Keiko-san. The former was not beautiful in the way the other was, but she gave the room a patient, sweet atmosphere only one who had experienced much pain and love could give. I have always admired Keiko-san for her perfection in school and ability to stand up to anyone, but after spending maybe an hour at most in her company, I've discovered she is not at all what I imagined. This older woman had none of that; she forgot to ask for my name from the beginning, yet she was able to smooth such things out with that smile that invited me to join her in the inside joke. In other words, she was able to laugh at herself—something most people never would allow themselves to do.

In my daze, I vaguely heard Minamino-san calling out to Shuuichi, asking if he was ready to receive company. I suspect that if I had been a girl she would have been just as nice to me, both in her manner and in her introduction to her son.

The first thing I noticed about Minamino Shuuichi was that he was nothing like I had pictured. I had always heard such amazing things about his intelligence, and I had assumed he would be a bit nerdy, maybe with braces and glasses. How was I to expect this suave-looking young boy who I took to be a beautiful girl at first glance.

I couldn't help it. I stared at his chest to check for any "womanly attributes" as discreetly as possible. I have a feeling he noticed. He wore a loose-fitting tan t-shirt and green slacks that I had to wonder if he had dyed them or if there really was a store that sold such brilliantly jungle-inspired green pants. It really…**really** didn't help that he had long silky red hair that looked like he took immaculate care of it every day.

Seriously. He had to be the cleanest boy I have ever met. How the hell did a Japanese boy end up with red hair and green eyes? Some hidden genetic trait or something?

He cleared his throat, waking me from my inspection of his features. I was thrown off balanced further when he smiled at me. Kami, if I looked like that, I wouldn't have to worry about getting a date for the upcoming spring fling.

Anyways, I finally managed to regain my bearings and politely said, "M-Minamino-san, I-I was wondering if I could ask a few questions about Urameshi Yusuke for the paper." My words started out hesitantly, yet I managed to end up with confidence. Looks like I've evolved from stammering stupid with Keiko-san to talking trivial with Minamino-san.

He raised a hand dismissively. "Please, no need to be so formal. Kawasaki-san, correct? My mother is much more deserving of formality." His arm elegantly indicated towards his being. "I would rather be addressed to as Shuuichi."

What is it with these people and familiarity? Well, I knew better than to anger my sources, so I agreed.

"Very well, if you will call me Kenta."

"Certainly, Kenta-san. So, Keiko-san is the one who sent you, am I correct?"

To this moment, I am still wondering how he could be so relaxed, yet so in the knowhow. If I was like him, I would get every scoop without any trouble. Too bad I'm just ol' Kawasaki Kenta. Oh well.

"Yes. She said you could answer some of my questions I have about Ura…I mean Yusuke."

Damn. My instinct to call him Urameshi is still very strong. But for Keiko-san's sake I will try to be more open-minded about him. Every time I want to just dismiss him as a jerk, I see her face still in tears because of my big mouth.

If Shuuichi-san noticed my slip-up on Urameshi's name, he said nothing about it. "Ah I see. Certainly, if you have any questions about Yusuke, don't hesitate to ask me. But maybe…" he indicated another room. "You would feel more comfortable in the living room?"

We made our way into his living room, and this gave me a moment to wonder where his mother went. As if reading my mind, Shuuichi-san sat down and spoke. "Okaasan has left to do a few errands, so please do not worry about time. I have completed most of my work already and was simply reading a few documents upstairs." He smiled at me, and I was tempted to ask if everyone in his family had the same guileless expression.

"Well…I have been planning on writing an article about Yusuke for some time," came out my first fib. "And I realized that maybe there is more to Yusuke than meets the eye." Second lie. At least, unless you count Keiko-san practically beating that idea over my head.

Looking at his expression, I felt as if someone of much higher standards was looking down upon me with a patience that said: "I know you aren't being honest, but I'm sure you'll do the right thing." I hate self-righteous people, but he is too damn good-looking and kind for me to dislike him for understanding me better than he should.

"All right, look Shuuichi-san. Cards are on the table. I don't have a clue about what Urameshi is like, and I'm trying to understand him better because Keiko-san almost beat me up for insulting him, but I just don't get it." Kami, it felt awesome to just spill out how I was feeling. Man, I am such a loser. "What do all you guys see in him that the rest of the world is missing out on?"

He seemed amused at my sudden confession, and his two (very clean!) hands clasped together as he brought them up to his lips in thought. Even just sitting on the couch he looked so much better than me. Am I ever going to get a break? Shuuichi-san grinned wolfishly, an odd sight in comparison with his normally so gentle and polite façade. "It seems to me that you've already made the first step, admitting that you really have no idea who Yusuke is. That's a lot farther down the road of knowledge than most people."

Not the answer I was hoping for. Though I did preen for a moment when I realized that he had sort of complimented me. I think he did anyways.

"Well, what makes him so different than the way most people see him?" I inquired, wanting to know now out of sheer curiosity and exasperation on how everyone wanted to contradict my view of Urameshi.

"Well…" He brought up a finger, flicking it casually to the side. "Firstly, he's not nearly as bloodthirsty as your rumors make him out to be. Secondly, I don't believe he purposely lives to terrorize your school's students. He might actually have some other thoughts besides 'Me hungry. Eat new kid.'"

Was that humor? I can never tell when a man has such a deadpanned expression.

"Yeah I get all that. He's been made into a demon because of the escalated rumors. It's something we reporters have to deal with every time we're writing a new scoop." To my surprise, I think he stopped listening around halfway of my second sentence. To this day, I'll never know if he was choking or laughing.

"Yes well…I can see why he would be considered such a _demon_," Shuuichi-san managed to say. "Tell me then, do you view people like him as demons?" He looked at me with a very inquiring expression and I felt an urge to tell him everything. Maybe that type of skill was passed on through the generations, because I'm certain I spoke way more than I should have to both mother and son.

"Can you blame me? People like him and Kuwabara are always devastating the school and the normal weaklings like me just can't defend ourselves." I can't believe I called myself a weakling without any hesitation. But what I said rang true to my ears. I really felt that way.

"I see." I could have sworn something akin to disappointment flickered through his green (green!) eyes. "You view Kuwabara in the same way?"

My adamant nod was pretty convincing. I could still remember my earlier brush with one of his goons.

He smiled at me, though I could swear it was a much cooler smile that was given to an annoying stranger who wouldn't leave. "Did you know that Kuwabara never fights unless he's trying to protect someone?"

I stared blankly at him. He couldn't be serious. "You're joking right? Just yesterday, one of his followers almost beat me up when I bumped into him! How could that be protection? Against my germs maybe?"

"Do you know for a fact that he was part of Kuwabara's gang? There are only three of them you know—they're more like his friends."

"Three? Just three?" I couldn't believe my ears. "Next, you're going to tell me Urameshi has only twenty in his gang!"

When he started laughing, I began to feel like everyone was in on this joke except for me. "Actually, Yusuke isn't part of a gang. He doesn't have **any** followers."

I started choking on my tea, and no amount of Shuuichi-san pounding on my back could stop my gag reflex for the next few minutes. Gasping out a shocked "What?" that sounded more like a shout than a question, I openly gaped at him.

He shrugged and sat back down in his seat after making sure I wasn't going to choke on anymore tea. "He isn't part of a gang." I could swear there was a mischievous look in his eyes when he followed up with, "In fact, I know that he hasn't beaten up a human in several months at least."

That was a really weird way to put it. Human? Man, is this guy technical or something? Maybe Urameshi has been kicking puppies or something. Something else occurred to me as I tried to choke down what he told me. "Are you saying he's gone through an epiphany or something? He isn't the bully he was before?"

A dry chuckle emitted from his lips. "You could say that I suppose." He shifted a lock of luxurious (red!) hair away from his girlish face, a faraway look in his eyes as if remembering something that had happened. "But…I don't think Yusuke was ever a bully."

Aha! Finally, I knew he was wrong! "That's not true. About half a year ago, he beat up one of my good friends and took all the money he had on him!" I crowed in triumph.

Shuuichi-san simply looked at me, and I felt like shifting lower in my seat to avoid that gaze. It was a look that said "I'll humor you and your silly beliefs for now, but I think you'll grow up one day and figure it out." I'm pretty sure this boy is my age, but I feel like the way he talks and acts makes him appear so much older and mature. It's no wonder the next words burst from my mouth.

"Urameshi isn't a good guy. He isn't nice and treats people like trash. How can someone like him get everything he wants?"

Somehow this conversation turned from a few innocent questions about how Urameshi ticks, to my feelings of inequity and confusion. I really don't like this turn of events.

He started to say something, and then thought better of it. We sat in silence, and I began to suspect that I had that effect on people once I started asking them the difficult questions. Letting out a small sigh, he rubbed one hand over his eyes. "You can't help it can you?"

I think I had a really befuddled expression on his face, because when he looked at me he smiled.

"You constantly come back to the same stubborn conclusion that Yusuke is nothing more than trash. Are you really giving him the chance to be anything more?"

"You sound just like Keiko-san." Except without the screaming and crying. Man, I hate to say it, but if Shuuichi-san was a girl, I'd totally date him. Or at least dream about dating him. Kami, this sounds messed up even in my head.

A deep-throated chuckle. "Perhaps you should have listened to her."

I responded with a grunt, which I think made him even more amused. I was already flustered and he was acting as if he was my psychiatrist. This wasn't the meeting I had hoped for.

Finally, perhaps a little childishly, I asked, "And why should I? Why should I give someone like Urameshi a chance?"

A very gentle look settled in his eyes, and I felt a little more uncomfortable. His voice was very low and soft now, and there was a certain musical lilt to it that caused me to strain and listen no matter what the upcoming words might be. "Indeed. Why give anyone a chance? Why bother talking to that small girl in the corner who refuses to speak to anyone? Maybe she's a snob. Or that man with the Mohawk? He has to be a mugger."

"That's not what I—"

He continued as if I hadn't spoken, his expression not changing a whit "Maybe that dog will bite me; he looks pretty mean. Maybe that girl will turn me down—she's so pretty she probably will laugh in my face and choose the jock, who I bet probably has no brains and only thinks about looking good. That geek over there probably can't do anything right and I bet he just loves his computer. What a loser."

The worst part of that whole speech was that his voice never falter, his volume never went over a quiet murmur, as if he had heard this from countless amounts of people and had accepted these stereotypes as constants in this world.

I stared down at my cup of tea, unable to handle that soft gaze anymore. How can anyone just defiantly stare back at someone with such a kind, forgiving gaze? I felt as if he was forgiving me for every nasty thing I ever said or wrote about someone just because I felt annoyed or jealous or just because I had no idea what that person was really like but everyone was saying the same thoughtless things.

He let me be, and silently stood up and walked away, leaving me in my thoughts. Sure, Keiko had tried to make me see the error of my thinking, but I hadn't really tried to change anything after that. I'm man enough to admit it. I just tried to act nicer to please her. Somehow…in the way Shuuichi-san said things made me really think about it for once. Maybe he was right and maybe I was a fool. Maybe I have just been stuffed with so many rumors and stories about Urameshi that I haven't been able to tell the lies from the truth. Damn. That's the worst thing that a reporter can admit. Have I really been blinded by the common masses' biased opinions?

Shuuichi-san walked back in with an offering of sandwiches that had just been heated up in the toaster oven. He set them down in front of me and sat back down, waiting for me to say something.

I took one, and nibbled at its sides. Whoever made these sandwiches sure know how to make a damn good distraction from my problems. I cleared my throat, took another sip of that unpleasant, yet somehow soothing tea, and said, "Maybe…maybe I need to give those people another chance."

"You never know," was the breezy reply.

I felt a little better when he didn't immediately reject my train of thought. "Maybe Urameshi and Kuwabara aren't the monsters people set them out to be," I ventured.

"It's a possibility." He looked pleased.

Embarrassment surged through me. I felt like a little kid, and it was kind of strange to talk to him so openly like he was my mom or something. Desperate to change the subject, I questioned, "What's in these sandwiches?"

"I think it's a BLT with a few special ingredients. Okaasan left them in the oven to heat up whenever we wanted."

The conversation was quickly becoming awkward and both of us sat there without saying anything. I'm good at that I guess.

"Kenta-san?"

"Yes?" I think my response was a little too overeager. It's not my fault that quietness bugs me.

He looked amused. Again. Shuuichi-san appeared to be looking me up and down for a moment, before smiling in a more genuine way than I have seen him use before. "I think you'll do fine."

What could I say to that? "Thanks."

"Did you know Kuwabara loves kittens?"

I felt a laugh bubbling up in my throat at the sudden confession. "Really?" The laughter died quickly when I couldn't tell if he was being serious or just teasing me. "Does he even like fighting?" I queried, wondering if every little thing people said about him was a misconception.

"Oh yes. That's no lie. Both he and Yusuke really enjoy fights. But they don't do them just to hurt someone else. That I can promise you. Kuwabara has even dedicated himself to taking care of his 'gang'. Did you know that he has one of the strongest belief systems a human could ever have?"

I was beginning to feel the skeptical Kenta rising in my voice. "Yeah?"

"He will not touch a girl without her permission and fights only to protect those weaker, and perhaps even some who are stronger than him." He looked really serious now, as if he was telling me something I should take with me to the grave.

"What about the time he groped Keiko-san?"

How did that occurrence keep getting mentioned? Maybe I should lay off focusing on Keiko-san so much. If I keep that up someone might think I liked her. Then Urameshi would probably get a whiff of the rumor and come around to beat me—wait. I was doing it again. That traitorous line of thought that always led me to blaming my problems on Urameshi, or someone else who most people looked down on. It's like I can't take care of my own issues without accusing someone of trying to screw me over.

"What?" He looked surprise and off-balanced for the first time in this whole conversation. Suddenly, he relaxed again, and a lazy, yet somehow still very dashing (damn that guy!) smile reached his face. "Ah, yes I remember now. Yusuke told me about that." He inspected his fingertips and I resisted the urge to assure him that he still held first place in cleanliness. "Well I guess you could say Kuwabara wasn't himself that day."

He abruptly changed the subject. "So are you busy tomorrow?"

"Wh-what? Um…not really," I stammered out, a little confused. "Wait, why wasn't Kuwa—"

"Excellent. No homework or anything?"

I tried a few times to get Shuuichi-san to explain what he meant about Kuwabara, but no matter what I said, he smoothly managed to avoid the topic all together.

"Nah, I'm okay in that department." Truth be told, I actually did have some homework, but I was really curious about where this was heading. Shuuichi-san didn't strike me as the type of person to invade someone's privacy without a reason.

"Well this is a little embarrassing…" he trailed off, laughing at himself in the same way his mother did when she messed up. "I have a request to make of you."

Hmm. All right I get it—I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Ugh, weird images are brought up by my choice of words. Glad I didn't say it out loud. "What is it?"

"You see…I'm supposed to meet up with my friend tomorrow for lunch."

A date? Figures someone as good-looking as him would be having dates on the weekends. I wonder what type of girls he dates, especially with him being so girly looking. Maybe really manly, buff girls? Or maybe girls as pretty as him? The whole idea is beginning to hurt my head.

He scratched the side of his head with a smile. "Unfortunately, I am being unexpectedly detained and since I have been unable to contact her, I need someone to go in my place."

I'm beginning to see where this is going. "Would you like me to go tell her?" I guessed, and was rewarded by a nod. Something about the idea bugged me though. "Won't she be mad?"

I think Shuuichi-san got my point because he smiled reassuringly at me. "Don't worry, just show her around wherever she wants to go, and tell her that it was Koenma that asked me to do a few errands."

"Okay…so where am I meeting her?" And with that I agreed to meet a young lady I had never met before for lunch without her even knowing. I hope she is a saint—then she won't beat me up for not being as handsome as Shuuichi-san.

He gave me some directions and I found myself saddled with the date. I wonder what she's like. "What time exactly?" I asked, remembering that I should try to avoid being late for a half-date.

"At eleven thirty. She's not that hard to spot." A very saucy grin covered his face, and I was suddenly reminded of a fox. "Botan has a very lovely shade of blue hair and pink eyes."

He laughed at my aghast expression. Is she some sort of crazy techno girl or something? The type that cosplays? What?!

We talked for awhile longer and I actually enjoyed my time with him. I didn't really get much more information out of him, but I did learn some interesting facts I had never heard of about some types of plants I had considered growing in my parent's garden. He is pretty cool and he got me a date…with a girl who I hope isn't creepy. He reminded me before I left again to tell her that it was Koenma who called him away. Maybe this "Koenma" is his boss or something?

When I came home some hours later, I couldn't help but contemplate over my interactions with Shuuichi, even though I really should have been focusing on my homework. It seems I've been doing a lot of that these past few days.

Shuuichi may have been the prettiest boy I ever met, but somehow after talking to him today, I feel he might be the manliest man I have ever met also. At the beginning I was ready to grope him just to be sure that he wasn't really a hot girl, but now just the thought was extremely embarrassing and a bit disgusting. It took me a few days to realize that what I now felt for Shuuichi was a deep respect and desire to have him respect me in return.

I hope we can still hang out in the future. Who would have thought that trying to learn more about Urameshi would lead me to finding a cool friend? He even promised to help me out with my plants when I start growing them. I hear girls dig a boy who can garden. It's embarrassing to admit that I actually like the idea of growing them. Though the strange thing is...I can't remember if I told Shuuichi that secret or not. Huh.

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you have any comments/criticisms, don't hesitate to tell me. Thank you!


	4. Sunday

Personally, I really like this chapter. I hope you do as well. Enjoy!

And thank you very much to my reviewers!

**Fire in the hole**, when I read your review, I felt very happy that you would write that. I wanted very badly to write a story that could show off the good sides of some characters that were often ignored, and when I read reviews like yours, I feel even more inspired to make the story as well written as possible.

**DW-chan**, I really appreciate what you have said, and hope that I can live up to your expectations. Though I did just realize I made one particular error when it comes to Japanese schooling. Oops. :)

**loretta537**, I'm glad that you are enjoying the story and thank you for your continual support. Don't hesitate to tell me if there is anything you think may be off.

**Disclaimer:** I have no hold over YYH or any of its characters. I do however retain possession over Mr. Kawasaki.

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Chapter 4 – The Date

It's six in the morning and I can't go back to sleep. My mind has been just whirling with thoughts and ideas, and very little of it to do with my normal focus on having my article on the front page instead of Ren's or on a pretty girl. I've been thinking a lot about what both Keiko-san and Shuuichi said.

I've given up on trying to call Urameshi by his first name. It just isn't going to happen and there is no point forcing myself to. Calling him Yusuke seriously won't make a difference in making me understand him better. Speaking with Shuuichi really cleared my mind from the girl fumes that every boy gets lost in once and a while.

At the same time though, my head as begun to pound because I've been thinking about it way too much. A few hours later of me trying to sleep, but unable to keep myself from brooding on the topic of Urameshi, and I found myself annoyed, tired, and a little brain-dead.

When it was near eleven, I scrambled around trying to make sure I was completely ready and took the nearest bus to the downtown area I was told to meet the blue-haired, pink-eyed girl. After meeting Shuuichi, I do have to wonder what type of girl he would date. Or it could be that she threatened him, and made him go on a date with her. But then…why would Shuuichi use me as a scapegoat? Hmm.

I found myself in front of a cute little café that reminded me vaguely of a cottage in a rural area that city people would make up. Well, I guess that might be what it really was. There were beautiful flowers and plants everywhere, hanging from the ceiling, the sides, even some hiding near the small, classy tables that you wouldn't expect to see outside of some cutesy manga. Looking around, I noticed that I had to be the only single boy in the place. Either you were a girl enjoying some small whimsical dessert, or you were a couple making goo-goo eyes at each other over a cup of tea.

Straining my neck around to look for this "Botan", I finally spotted a flash of blue. It was a girl who looked to be about my age and wore a very trendy pink tank top that I think I had once recommended in a column about the latest fashions. I cautiously walked over to her and tapped her shoulder. When she turned, I saw two surprised-looking pink eyes glance up at me. Thank goodness she wasn't as big and scary as I thought she could be.

"Are you Botan-san?" I questioned politely.

"That's right. Is there something you need?" she responded good-naturedly, turning her chair to get a better look at me. That also gave me a better chance to see her and I have to say that hot damn, that's a good looking girl!

"Um…Shuuichi sent me." I almost winced when her eyes instantly narrowed in suspicion, probably wondering why someone like me was here instead of the handsome genius. My voice faltered when she threatened to look annoyed. "He-he ca-can't make it today."

She managed a tight smile that definitely did not reach her eyes. I think she wanted to demand what I was doing here instead then, but was too polite to ask it out loud.

"Shuuichi asked me to show you around instead. He said he was called away by…uh, by…" Damn it! I forgot the name! "Ko…Kona?"

I wanted to smack my forehead when she gave me another fake smile, this time that said: "Okay, I have no idea what you're talking about now." It figures the one thing Shuuichi repeated to me is the one thing I don't write down and forget.

"Sorry, sorry." Why am I apologizing? It's like these words that are bursting from my mouth just won't stop making me more self-conscious. Just spit it out Kenta! Be strong, be a man! As if Kami was against me, all that emitted from my open mouth was something akin to a squeak.

The good news is she laughed, finding me more amusing and less likely to be a mass-murder on the rampage who just happened to be a good liar. Something seemed to click for her, and she asked to my relief, "Do you mean Koenma?"

A snap of my fingers, an urge to do a jig kept from becoming reality, and a more casual "Yeah, that was his name!" was all it took for her to finally offer a seat to me. We made some pretty low-key chat for a couple of minutes before the conversation lapsed into a more comfortable silence. She was not a cosplayer or an intense raver or something. She was just a normal, sweet girl with what I'm assuming is a liking for blue and pink. A little hyper too.

Out of a whim, I asked her if she knew Urameshi or Kuwabara. To my surprise it turned out she knew both of them, and seemed to regard them with a warmth.

"Really? Have you known them long?" I asked with an interest. At her nod, I continued. "Can you tell me anything of interest about them?"

She looked thoughtful, cutting off a small slice of her cake and taking a bite. "I'm not sure what to say."

I realized I had to explain exactly what I wanted, and took a few minutes to tell her the whole story. Afterwards, she looked amused and said, "I think you've really thought about this haven't you? You practically sound like your brain is going to explode if you can't figure out this whole mess."

"I think it might," I admitted, feeling that throb begin again in my temples.

She took a sip of her coffee, eyes thoughtfully staring straight ahead of her. "Look here Kenta-kun. I have a proposition for you."

Suspicion coated my tone. "Yeah…what is it?"

Botan-san laughed at me, smiling and shaking her head. "Oh no, no, please don't think it's going to be something really bad! It's just…" She looked annoyed for the first time in the past few minutes. "Shuuichi-kun was supposed to show me all around downtown and its great shopping centers. And now it seems he has selected you to be my guide!" She beamed at me. "I just hope that you are still willing to show me around?"

I nodded, and she clapped her hands together in delight. "Splendid! Simply splendid!"

Winking at me, she pointed at me with one finger. "Then I shall do something for you! I shall give you as much information as possible on people like Yusuke and Kuwabara as we walk! That way we both get what we're after!"

I couldn't have asked for more from this pretty lady and my repeated nod was emphatic. Finally, a real businesswoman! Someone I could actually relate to! Keiko-san was an unreachable girl, Shuuichi was a friend, but Botan-san…she was similar to me and I could understand her rather than stand away gaping at her beauty or trying to get her respect as I did with the other two.

We left the café after I gallantly offered to pay the bill, and to my surprise, unlike Keiko-san she willingly grabbed hold of my arm and let me lead the way. We spent the day traversing the town and having an all together good time. Still, she did not give me much information that I could use, until we reached a certain part of town I normally avoid.

It was a well-known fact that only gang members, thieves, and trash in general are the only type to wander this area. I quickly grabbed Botan-san's arm, and warned her: "We should go back. I'll show you another area, but this place isn't safe to wander around even during the day."

She simply waved away my fears with a laugh. "Don't worry, Kenta-kun! I just want to show you something. I've been told about this place before."

My earlier fears about Botan-san came back with the way that she so easily wandered through the streets without worry of being attacked. We suddenly heard a cry for help, and before I could get Botan-san away from this place, she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the action.

I tried to protest, but she once again hushed me. She suddenly stopped and leaned back against a wall, glancing around the corner. Motioning for me to follow, she indicated the scene before us. "You wanted to learn a bit more about Yusuke and Kuwabara, right? Well, take a look here!"

Glancing around the corner, I could see two men hulking over a young boy protecting a smaller child. He clutched a purse to him, and cried out. "This isn't yours! Leave us alone!"

I looked back at Botan-san in confusion. What was this supposed to show me?

"You heard the kid! Get out of here!"

From the other side of the alley stood Kuwabara, back to the sun and looking pretty dramatic I had to admit. He had an angry expression on his ugly mug, and stepped towards the men.

They laughed at him, one moving forward to meet him. "You want some you ugly gorilla? I'll take you!" He was very confident, and I'm not surprised—he was at least 6 foot 2 with muscles bulging against his neck dangerously.

Kuwabara didn't seem deterred and ran at him head on.

"You see, I know that on Sundays, Kuwabara scouts out this side of town and tries to keep the criminal action down. I've never seen him in action though," whispered Botan-san, tickling my ear with her breath.

My eyes could not have gotten any wider as I watched Kuwabara take on that lummox of a man. He dodged the first gigantic swing and came back with his own uppercut, fist meeting the giant's chin. I heard a sickening crunch, and the man fell back, managing to grab Kuwabara's shirt and throw him over to hit a wall.

Kuwabara slammed against the bricks, slid down and sat for a moment before forcing himself back up. Hands clenched in fists, he laughed at the man. "Ha! That's all you got? I eat guys like you for breakfast!" Blood ran down cuts on his face, and his shirt was torn up in the back, a bit of red seeping through the pale color of the cloth, yet he beamed as if he had just won a prize. "After getting beat up by Urameshi for so long, this feels like a field day!"

Secretly, I thought that wasn't something to be so proud of.

He rushed forward again, and got one good hook in the guy's side. The man paused to gasp in pain, and Kuwabara took full advantage of that, pummeling the man before kicking him, sending him flying off to land onto the ground.

He didn't move.

Kuwabara turned to the other guy, grinning maniacally. "You next?" Before he could take the step towards the man, the coward sprinted off in a panic.

He moved towards the two children, and squatted down to check them out. "You two all right?" Behind him, the man was getting up. He took a step as if going to strike at Kuwabara, but then decided against it and ran off when Kuwabara immediately turned to stare him down.

The boy looked at him with suspicion, clutching the purse with a death hold grip. "We're fine. Go away." The baby girl peeked out from behind him, chubby hand grasping her (I'm going out on a limb here) brother's shirt and mimicked him. "'E're 'ine. Go 'way."

The hulking guy simply looked at them, before shaking his head. "That purse isn't yours is it?" He ignored the boy's immediate protest. "This is your corner isn't it? You send out your sister to cry and distract the crowd and then you go pickpocket whoever you can."

I was amazed at his astuteness—it hadn't even occurred to me yet that these kids may not have completely clean consciences themselves. It seems like Kuwabara really knows these things.

He nodded at the kids, scratching his chin. "One of my best friends used to do that too, you see? He didn't really have a choice, with his mom ill and the rest of his family too young to work. He couldn't get a job, since he was pretty young himself. But then, one day he got caught when he tried to steal this purse. It turned out that the woman was a policewoman who had been on the lookout for those types of kids. He went to juvi hall for a couple of months and his family suffered for it. Luckily, that same policewoman had volunteered to watch over his family and even gave part of her check to them." He grunted gruffly, before continuing. "Not everyone's that lucky though, you see?"

The boy just looked away, his grip refusing to loosen. "Whatever. We can take care of ourselves."

"Yeah! Take care of selves!" chimed in the little girl, waving her other chubby hand at Kuwabara. She giggled in delight when he scooped out of his pocket a couple of candies and poured them in her ready hands. The boy glanced at her warningly, motioning her to remain behind him.

He just looked at them, a sad expression in his face. Finally, he handed the boy a wad of cash from his wallet. "Here. It looks like you may need this more than me." He stood up, brushed off the dirt, ignoring the blood that trickled from a wound on his cheek, and walked away.

I glanced back at Botan-san, who was still watching Kuwabara with an unreadable expression. If I was going to guess what she was feeling, I think it was some sort of motherly pride. A sob suddenly broke the silence, and I quickly turned back to see the boy had run after Kuwabara crying.

He landed in Kuwabara's open arms, crying like the little boy he was. Uncertain of what was happening, the little girl just began to cry with him, wailing for someone to help her "Big Bwutha". The boy handed Kuwabara the purse, begging him not to tell their mom, that he would be good, so very good—just don't tell their mother.

I heard a sniff coming from Botan-san, and I was amazed. I never thought I'd see the day kids actually ran towards the big lug instead of running away in terror. I felt an inkling of guilt at that insensitive thought as Kuwabara gruffly patted the two on their heads and picked them up.

"Come on. Let's get you two home."

We watched him walk off, child in each arm, leaving behind the site without glancing back. I looked back at my partner in crime. "So…is this what you wanted me to see?"

She nodded, smiling as she wiped away a small tear. "Yeah." Laughing, she beamed at me sweetly. "So, is that payment enough for services rendered?" Satisfaction covered her face when I could only nod mutely in response. "Come on then! Let's go somewhere fun now!"

"Well…" I began, finding my voice again. "There is a carnival going on a few blocks away from this area…"

Botan-san looked excited and quickly agreed. "That sounds like amazing! Let's go!" She grabbed my arm and waited for me to lead the way to our next destination.

This carnival was one of the biggest ones in the city, and was an annual event. I normally never went, or even considered going, because usually you either went with a huge group of friends or with a date. And my particular group of friends either didn't want to go, or already had dates. This year was going to be different though.

When we reached the entrance, there was already a large crowd running through the place, laughing and just having fun. I gallantly offered to pay for our tickets and we quickly moved towards some of the better rides to avoid missing out on them later when the lines got longer. After a few awesome roller coasters and other crazy rides, we headed towards the game booths. This was where I could impress a girl. Sure, I wasn't a very physically fit guy compared to most people, but I had unerring aim in shooting and tossing games. She had even permitted me to call her Botan-chan from now on.

Ugh! There was Ren with a camera, notepad, and a pretty brunette on his arm who vaguely resembled Keiko-san. I did not want to confront him here, and I cursed inwardly for forgetting that this event was always written about in the newspaper. It figured he would volunteer to take on the most fun assignment of the year. And because I haven't gone to the newsroom for the past few days, I've been missing out on a lot of the talk going on in there.

"Come on Botan-chan. I'll win you a big stuffed animal." I pulled her towards some of the games a bit further away from the little twerp I wanted to keep away from.

For the next few minutes, I proceeded in amazing my blue-haired date by hitting every target they put in front of me and—just as I promised—winning her a huge pink stuffed dog, which she picked out. I even gallantly offered to carry it for her, though it would wound my manly pride…just a little to be seen with such an animal. It occurred to me though that me carrying this dog also showed anyone watching that I had won something for a pretty girl. Maybe this wasn't so bad.

"That was amazing Kenta-kun! I never would have expected that from you!" Was that an insult or a compliment? I think I'll take this one as a compliment.

"Thanks."

We spent a few more hours just doing whatever came to mind, and our last ride was the Ferris wheel. The carnival was going to close soon, and we were all partied out. Leaning back against the wall, I relaxed and glanced over at Botan-chan who sat playing with her gigantic dog. In the fading light, she looked very pretty, though her hair was messy in its ponytail, and sweat gleamed on her skin. I personally felt that at this moment, she looked much prettier than Keiko-san did in all her perfection. But I didn't say anything, knowing that I was just a substitute for Shuuichi. He was who she probably really wanted.

"Hiei."

I looked at her. "What?"

"If you want more information on Yusuke and Kuwabara, you should talk to Hiei." The way she bit her lip as she spoke, told me volumes. She had obviously been wrestling with the idea of telling me about this person. I wonder why?

As if to answer my question, she sat forward and wrung her hands as our compartment came to a stop near the top of the wheel. "But it won't be easy to find him. He usually is hanging around in the trees of the park. You know, the one near Shuuichi-kun's school? And…"

"And?"

"He's not the friendliest person you'll meet." I had a vague feeling of foreboding and the idea that maybe what she said was an understatement.

We were quiet again, and I considered the new information. Ever since we saw Kuwabara, we hadn't talked about either him or Urameshi. It just didn't seem that vital after that that I squeeze out of Botan-chan any more information.

The Ferris wheel creaked slightly as we began moving again.

"Botan-chan…I had a really great time today."

"Me too."

I looked at her fully in the face, and asked the dreaded question I had been brooding over all day. "D-do you wish Shuuichi was here, i-instead of me?" I braced myself for the answer, instantly wishing I had not said that out loud as I looked away quickly. I couldn't stop myself from continuing. "I-I mean…you know. He's so good-looking, and smarter…a-and—"

"Kenta-kun." My head whipped back to look at her. She had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen before. "At first I was really angry that Shuuichi-kun had been unable to make it. But…I'm really glad that it was you who came in his place! I couldn't have ask for a better or more gentlemanly replacement!" She laughed and leaned over to hug me, not knowing how happy I was when she said the next sentence. "I **really** did have a wonderful time!"

We didn't say much more after that, just watching the sky change into warm colors as the sun began to set. At the end, we separated, but not after exchanging phone numbers. This was perhaps the best day of my life.

Thank you Shuuichi.

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Thank you for reading! Have a good day (or night?).


	5. Monday

I've been absent for quite a while, but here is the next chapter (finally!). I hope that the next will come quicker. Thank you for your patience.

**Col**: Thank you very much for your compliment. I know what you mean, and I do wish that other people would respect Kuwabara more. Though admittedly, I used to really not like him when I was younger. I hope you like this chapter!

**loretta537**: Thanks for continuing to read my story! I'm glad that Kenta can have some success with the girls once in a while.

**Kitten-The-Wolf**: Well, here's the intro-Hiei chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Yeah, I'd like to think that Kuwabara would be doing something like that.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own YYH or any of the characters. Mr. Kawasaki is my slave though, it's true.

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Chapter 5 – Search For the Jungle Man

I think my parents were quite shocked when I came home in a happy daze. The good mood continued for Monday morning too, and I came down to breakfast whistling. Both parents stared at me, my mother halfway finished making coffee and my father no longer reading his forgotten paper. I smiled at them with a great cheerfulness exuding in my every movement. "Good morning!"

My mother raised an eyebrow at me, pressing the button to begin grinding the coffee beans. "It's Monday."

"Yep!" I chirped happily, sitting down and pouring myself some cereal before diving into it eagerly. My munching was loud in the silence that followed my reply. My father didn't even say anything as he went back to his reading, accepting my strange joy as just something every boy goes through eventually.

I went through the day in the same type of daze, and I think I got a lot of weird looks when I laughed after someone had thought it would be clever to rig my locker with a water balloon. Even when I saw Keiko-san by herself (which was a miracle in itself since she's always followed by a dozen girls) I didn't do anything to get her attention—I didn't even look at her for more than an instance. The only girl on my mind now was the cheerful Botan-chan with her beautiful eyes and welcoming smile.

To my surprise, a voice called my name. "Kenta-san."

Turning, I was astonished to see that the lovely Keiko-san was trying to get my attention. I felt a bit of nervousness suddenly swell up when I noticed other people staring at us in surprise, whispering. But after my recent confidence-booster from Botan-chan, I felt able to brush aside any worries and smile at her. "Good morning Keiko-san! Is there something I can do for you?"

Hmm. It was kind of ironic that the moment I had an interest in a different girl, Keiko-san would suddenly be eager to speak to me. Is Kami enjoying this joke?

She bobbed her head slightly, hands clasped. "I'm sorry, but I don't think Yusuke can make it on Wednesday."

I felt a shaft of worry run burst through me and leaving me speechless. Damn it, an interview with him would have been really helpful. A secret part of me did feel relieved that I wouldn't have to face someone that scary, but I immediately squashed that feeling, knowing Urameshi didn't deserve that after everything Keiko-san, Shuuichi, and Botan-chan had been trying to teach me. Suddenly, I realized she was still talking, and tuned back in.

"I really am sorry. I just got the message last night that he would be detained for at least another day. If you can wait till Thursday, I may be able to still get him at the shop around 4."

There was hope?

"It's fine Keiko-san. Really! If he can make it, that would be wonderful. Thank you very much for telling me about the delay." I felt rewarded by my generous reply when a brilliant smile came my way to the shock of the student body around us. Still, it was going to be really tough to interview Yusuke at the last moment before my paper was due.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she excused herself to get going to her next class, and with a smile, added that I should probably do the same. Parting ways, I felt that I could finally let go of any feelings I had had for Keiko-san. She was a wonderful person, yes, but not my type of girl at all, now that I knew her better. And now I had Botan-chan to think about.

A huge, goofy smile stretched across my face before I could help it, and I believe that I startled my teacher and the whole class when I entered. But how could I not smile, when everything was so great?

About halfway through the day, I felt the first inklings of doubt crossing my mind during class. Was I exaggerating yesterday in my mind? Did Botan-chan really seem that happy, or was she just being so for my benefit? What if she doesn't like me that way, but just as a friend? I mean, originally she was supposed to go with Shuuichi. Maybe they really were dating.

Suddenly, I found myself analyzing everything that happened yesterday, and my mood quickly accelerated into a depressed funk that could only be rivaled during my writer's blocks.

"ARRRRGH!" I shouted suddenly, unable to repress my sudden frustration.

"Yes Kawasaki-kun?"

The teacher was staring at me with a resigned expression, like she had to work with people like me every day. The whole class was looking at me, some whispering quietly to each other and others leaning towards me to see if I'd do anything else to proclaim my inability to cope with junior high school any longer.

She frowned, pushing her glasses up with one finger. "I know you must be bursting to express how much you love mathematics, but please keep it to yourself during class."

"Uh...sorry," I muttered, collapsing back into my seat sheepishly. I pretended to pay attention to lecture as she continued, but all I could see in my mind now was Botan-chan and Shuuichi. She did call him "Shuuichi-kun", which implies that they are already really good friends. Kami, why must I be tortured? I never took candy from kids, and only cheated in cards once. Okay, twice—but I plead extenuating circumstances on the second time. Oh yeah, and there was that other time...

I found myself taking notes on how many sins I had instead of how to properly use the Parts Formula in integration.

After school, I finally forced myself to push aside my freak-out for another time, realizing that I had to go find this "Hiei" that Botan-chan had mentioned. Though when I weigh the importance of finding out if Botan-chan liked Shuuichi or not does versus my future on the paper...Ack, what am I saying?! Of course I still need to get my story! I just have to put her out of my mind for now. Find "Hiei", get the story, and _then_ get the girl—just remember that Kenta.

I had called Shuuichi last night with the intention of asking him where his school was, but his mother had told me that he was gone for the day—something I should have known since I had taken out his friend that day for him. Lucky, his mother was happy to tell me the information I needed, and I took the bus to reach the area.

His school was much nicer-looking than Sarayashiki, and I had to admire the beauty of the flora around the school. There were still students walking around, and I was amused that the color of the uniforms. It was pink! I tried to picture Shuuichi in said uniform, and I found the image slightly entertaining. Forget that, it was hilarious! The sudden ringing of nearby bells warned me that it was already three o'clock, and I had to start looking for "Hiei" now or else he might leave.

I felt a little silly, walking underneath random trees and calling out for Hiei-san. One woman hurried her children passed me, muttering about crazy students. I spent about an hour doing this before sitting allowing my tired legs to collapse underneath me. I rested against a large tree trunk, dropping my backpack down next to me, all remnants of my good mood and my funk gone with the lack of the boy I was looking for. Enter the new frustration.

How was I supposed to find some Tarzan man if he's not going to show up?!

"Kenta? What are you doing here?" came a familiar voice.

There, in all his pink-uniformed glory, was Shuuichi. I scrambled up to face him, almost tripping in my effort. I managed a sheepish laugh, and bowed in some strange desire to apologize for being at his school. "Shuuichi! Um…well, I'm looking for someone."

He smiled at me with some amusement in his emerald eyes. "Really? Who?" He paused in thought before adding with a chuckle, "Did you have a good time with Botan?"

"Yes! Botan-chan was just amazing and we had a wonderful time!" I babbled out with pride as a surge of joy came back at the question. I hadn't dated many (or rather, any) girls, especially with me always being so busy with the newspaper, but that had been my most successful date. "Actually, she's the reason I'm here. She told me to talk to some guy named Hiei to learn more about Urameshi and Kuwabara."

I think he noticed when I called her Botan-chan, and felt some more amusement at that fact. I really **really** hope that he isn't interested in her, or else I'm doomed to a life of bachelorhood. With beautiful boys like him, what can regular, run-of-the-mill guys like me do? Actually learn math? I think not. When I mentioned Hiei-san, he looked more surprised. I have a suspicion that he knows this guy, whoever he is but I couldn't just blurt out my thoughts—a real reporter knows better than to show his cards before the bet is made.

"Really?" was all he said.

Nodding, I yawned widely, my back cracking slightly as I stretched out my arms. "Sorry. I guess I've been here for a while now." I came down into a squat, frowning in focus, arms over knees. "I just can't seem to find this guy." I looked at Shuuichi from the corner of my eye, and just as I thought, his expression of resigned amusement implied that he knew this "Hiei".

"Well, I doubt you'll find him. He's not really what you would call social."

I was right! He came right out and admitted it!

Scrambling up to my feet again, I eagerly looked at him. "So can you help me find him? I really do need to ask him some questions."

He chuckled in response, arms crossed. "Always the reporter, huh Kenta?"

I nodded quickly—I really need to find out as much as possible at Urameshi before I (hopefully!) interview him. Shuuichi looked like he was about to deny me, when suddenly a loud noise quieted us both. Leaves began falling around us, and the branches shook with intensity. I glanced over at Shuuichi in confusion, but he had an unreadable look.

A cold voice came down from the tree I had been leaning on. "Can't you be quiet?" I felt chills running through me at the deadness of that voice that asked a question that sounded more like a threat. Whoever this was, he was not happy that we had been talking underneath his tree.

Wait. His tree? Could this be Hiei-san?

A small black shape jumped down from the tree, and I came face-to-face with a boy. To be precise, I came face-to-face with the tip of his jet black hair. Doing a double take, I realized that, yes, this small boy was indeed the owner of that terrifyingly lifeless voice. He wore all black, covering up his body completely like a blanket, except for a white scarf that hid his neck, and a white headband covering his forehead. His hair was crazily styled up with a white starburst at the roots. What capture my attention the most though, was his eyes and I could feel my thoughts rushing suddenly through several paths.

Red eyes.

Devil eyes.

He's shorter than me. Awesome.

How on earth did he dye his hair like that?!

Defying gravity, much?

Composing myself with a polite smile, I offered a hand. "Hiei-san, right? I've been hoping to meet you."

He ignored my hand, instead continuing to look at Shuuichi with a scrutinizing glare. It was as if I didn't exist to him, or was nothing more than a minor annoyance that could be brushed aside. Not a nice feeling. His next words didn't reassure me much either and the possibility that he could be a homicidal maniac was beginning to look quite reasonable. "What is this about? I don't see visitors." I had to look away when his hot gaze seared at my vision, threatening wordlessly.

Shuuichi smiled vaguely, a slightly tense twist of his lips. "He wanted to meet you so much not even **death** could keep him away."

As I stared in fascination, unable to keep my eyes off the dark figure when his eyes weren't directed at me, the small boy's expression changed from slight startlement, to annoyance, to finally an unreadable (yet somehow angry in my opinion) mask. His gaze turned to burn some grass on the ground (maybe they left stains on his shoes?) and spat out a loud "Tch!".

His burning gaze came up to meet mine for the first time without me looking away, and I felt my knees grow slightly weak with fear. Something was horribly wrong. I had never felt this way before. Whoever this guy was, he made my nightmares seem fun and my fears seem like euphoria. I wonder if I'm going to feel like this when I interview Urameshi on Thursday? Hell, forget that—Urameshi'll be a breeze compared to this guy! I managed a twitching, somewhat professional smile, skin stretching to accommodate the sudden wide, uncomfortable show of teeth. If anything, that annoyed him more, and his eyes narrowed. If there really was such a thing as killer intent, that is what I felt right then.

"What do you want?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out except a slight choking sound as I felt my words retreat back into my throat rather than face him. I had an intense urge to pee, which only through sheer will and fortitude that I never even knew I had kept me from the action.

Come on Kenta, this is your chance! What would Botan-chan think if she saw you standing there like a moron!

"I-I hear you can te-tell me about Ura-Ura-Ura—" It seems I have reached my limit and regressed back to infantile repetition. Botan-chan, I leave to you my favorite novel about a vampire girl in college that I never admitted I ever owned.

"Urameshi," Shuuichi said helpfully, speaking easily whereas I was about to bolt.

The small boy stared at me, as if surprised I hadn't left yet. His eyes still burned into mine, and I found that I couldn't look away. He suddenly glanced away, releasing me from my strange inability to move. As I looked to see what had distracted him, I saw Shuuichi's hand resting on Hiei-san's shoulder.

"Enough Hiei," my brave red-headed friend said firmly. "He just wants to know more about Urameshi Yusuke who goes to school with him. **Nothing more**."

There was a strange emphasis on his words, but I just couldn't figure it out. It's as if they were having a completely different conversation than the one I was participating in. What the heck? At least I wasn't shaking anymore, now that his gaze had turned away from me.

Holy shit that kid is freaky.

Taking a deep breath and steeling myself for another round of I-stare-I-kill with the dark kid, I took a step towards him. In response, his head whipped back to stare at me. Yeesh, first I couldn't get his attention, and now he was on alert 24/7 with me.

I bowed abruptly. "Please Hiei-san! I need to learn more about Urameshi!" I belatedly added, "And Kuwabara!" in hopes that maybe my knowledge of both of them would ease his never-ending glare.

If anything, Hiei-san's glare grew more intense, and I saw Shuuichi shaking his head, one hand to his face, as if I had made the worst faux pas possible. "Who cares about that idiot?" Hiei-san spat out with disgust.

"Urameshi?" I asked stupidly, confused.

His expression finally changed into one of mild amusement. It wasn't much better than his angry look, since I felt like he was looking at me like some chimp at a zoo. Dude, where is the offer of milk and cookies? When am I going to get to interview the sweet old granny Urameshi must have?! When he didn't say anything, Shuuichi sighed and spoke for him. "He means Kuwabara."

Hiei-san looked a little disgusted at the mentioning of the "idiot's" name. His eyes flickered to Shuuichi, and then back to me after a moment. "Yusuke is a foolhardy human without any care for his own wellbeing. The end," he said monotone. With that said, he quickly walked off, not even letting me say a thing.

A chuckle made me quickly look at Shuuichi, who seemed resigned about that whole encounter. "Sorry about that. Hiei really isn't social. I guess Botan gave you a dead end..."

"Damn it!" I cursed, unable to retain myself any longer. What sort of crappy reporter was I?! I could barely talk to that strange jungle boy, let alone find out the information about Urameshi. This was worse than a dead end: this was me unable to even talk coherently!

A concerned expression was on his face. "Are you all right, Kenta?" At my curt nod, he continued reassuringly, "You aren't the only one who reacts that way when meeting Hiei. Actually you did remarkably well. I've seen people run away after locking gazes with him."

That didn't make me feel much better after the bladder reflex.

I think Shuuichi could read my disgust in my face still, and he held up a hand before I could say anything. "You really are a stubborn one, aren't you?" He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, before finishing his thought. "All right, maybe I can help you out."

"You can?" The hope in my voice was evident.

"Have you ever heard of Genkai?"

"Genkai...Genkai...um...wait, isn't she a famous martial artist?" I apparently gave the right answer, because he smiled.

As if mimicking Botan-chan, he brought up a finger and said cheerfully, "Bingo. She also happens to be the teacher of Yusuke. You can find the location of her temple on the internet or in the phone book. That's G-E-N-K-A-I. She probably will be willing to give you the interview about him."

Gratefulness welled up within my throat. "Thank you Shuuichi! It seems like whenever I get stuck you have a great idea to help me."

He waved away my words dismissively. "It's partially my fault Hiei walked off like that." Silently I disagreed with that, but for some bizarre reason Shuuichi seemed to think that he had done something to make Hiei-san leave. How strange.

Actually, now that I was calmer, I'm a little relieved I didn't have to talk to that kid for a long time. He was kind of a jerk in a creepy way. It was as if I was some sort of inferior being and he was ready to kill me at a moment's notice. I wonder how someone like him got to know someone like Shuuichi? Or someone as kind and fair and lovely (and did I mention kind?) person like Botan-chan?

I hope I won't have to talk to him again. No wonder she was so hesitant about telling me about him. He's unapproachable! Though, I kind of wish I had had the courage to make some comment about his sense of fashion. Raggedy old cloaks have been out of style since medieval times.

Hmm. That sounded so much cooler when I had first thought of that.

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Thank you for reading this far. If you have anything you would like to say, please do not hesitate to review.


	6. Tuesday

Ha, this chapter came quicker than the last few! I hope that you all enjoy.

**Chibi Botan**: Don't worry, I'm sure Hiei will be popping up unexpectedly at some point. :) Botan and Kurama...I guess we'll see if what happens. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Fire in the hole**: Yes, I'm sorry I've been absent for the past few...months I think? Thanks for keeping up with my story all the same! I believe you'll find his time with Genkai very interesting. Hmm, even I'm not sure what Kurama and Botan are!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters of YYH, nor do I own the manga/anime itself. Kawasaki Kenta is mine though.

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Chapter 6 – A Pretty Young Teacher

Though I was able to find the directions to Genkai-sama's temple through the internet, I couldn't find an actual picture of her. Weird, right? Well, if I imagine her based on reputation and who she teaches, I can see this huge, buff woman with tons of scars and a terrifyingly deep voice. What am I saying?! Please, for the love of Kami, please **please please** be an old granny with milk and cookies!

After rechecking my information and spending the next three hours on homework I was supposed to do during the weekend, I finally managed to get a whopping four hours of sleep. Yay. Kenta speak with three syllables tops. No more or Kenta confused.

Unfortunately, that is exactly how the rest of my day at school went. I dutifully tried to take note of what happened during class, but my brain was definitely _brain_-dead. Urgh.

Somehow I made it to the end of the day without embarrassing myself overly with the inability to form proper sentences. Making it to Genkai-sama's temple was surprisingly uneventful and easy. Hmm, maybe this day won't be so bad after all. I've gotten a bit tired of all the strange events that have occurred over the last few days. Pumpkin ladies, strange jungle people, and making a girl cry? I think I've had enough.

Watching the bus roll away, I glanced at the map I printed out last night. Hmm, four blocks to the left and I should be right at Genkai-sama's temple. The neighborhood around this part was pretty nice too. A bunch of rich folks I guess.

As I headed towards what should be the entrance to her place, I found myself face to face with the beginning of a stairway.

And as I stared up, and up, and up, I began to understand where Urameshi must be getting his strength from. Sure, climbing up a million stairs was fine training for him, but for me...I'd rather take the elevator. Genkai-sama must be rich to live here right? So therefore, there must be a hidden elevator!

Ten minutes later, after a fruitless search for a nonexistent elevator, I sat down at the beginning of the steps in preparation for the trial I was about to endure for my place on the paper. Just remember Kenta, it's for the paper. I took a deep breath, and began the trek to Genkai-sama's temple. I hope I got the right address, and wasn't at the wrong residence.

Going up these stairs was hell! When I finally reached a pause in the stairs, I almost collapsed in relief, legs shaking underneath in exhaustion, nerves frayed to the bone. Originally, I was joking when I said that this was his training, but now I think I'm right. No wonder Urameshi is so strong if he has walk up these stairs all the time!

After taking a ten-minute break to get my legs back to the state where they can walk without shaking noticeably, I pushed myself off the ground to stand once more. Taking a good look at my new surroundings, I let out a long whistle at the building in front of me. Or should I say HUGE-ASS temple? Enormous trees towered over me, and there were two strange red symbols on a line that I was going to stand under the moment I took a step forward. Weird...I didn't feel anything strange, but those malicious curves that reminded me of flames seemed to be warding something off. And all I could wonder was what did it really mean?

Suppressing a superstitious shudder from the strange settings, I continued forward up the path with only a small flight of stairs left till I reached the top.

Coming to the entrance way, I knocked hesitantly at the door, a little bit intimidated by the quiet, expansive surroundings. Even the weak pounding echoed uncomfortably, shattering the peaceful silence. After a few minutes had passed, I knocked again, this time louder.

I was about to knock again, when the door suddenly slid open and I automatically bowed low as I addressed Urameshi's teacher. "Sorry to trouble you Genkai-sama, but I was hoping to ask you a few questions about your student! My name is Kawasaki Kenta and I am a reporter at Sarayashiki Junior High School!"

A soft, kind, _young_ voice responded. "Oh my."

Incredulously, I slowly began to right myself from my bow, and as I got a good look of her dainty feet in aqua green slippers, her light blue kimono with a dark blue obi, and then her face, I realized that Genkai-sama was very small. Straightening completely, I had to look down to meet her curious gaze.

"W-would you mind answering some questions G-Genkai-sama?" I stammered in confusion. She was really pretty! Sure, red eyes were a bit strange, and her bluish-green hair was definitely unexpected, but then again, Botan-chan had pink eyes and blue hair. I wonder if they're related?

What really threw me off was how young she looked. She could easily be my age, or even younger! Maybe this was the secret! The secret of martial arts! Because it certainly seemed that everyone Urameshi knew was a beautiful babe (sorry Shuuichi, but that includes you). Even that Hiei-san guy wasn't bad looking for a jungle boy. Weird sense of hair style, but he had a good bone structure.

Hey, that doesn't make me weird for noticing. I'm a reporter for Kami's sake!

But wait. Kuwabara isn't beautiful. In fact, he's really ugly! Everyone makes fun of the way he looks, and he definitely isn't going to win any beauty pageants with that face of his. Taking a moment to reflect on the one black sheep of the lookers, I decided that I must have overreacted to all these pretty people Urameshi knows.

"Excuse me."

I snapped back into reality, realizing that Genkai-sama was trying to get my attention. Straightening, I tried to look more attentive. "Yes Genkai-sama?"

After a moment of looking at me, she smiled and shook her head. She bowed slightly at me, and I was stunned that a famous martial artist would do that. "D-don't bow! I-I don't deserve it!" I stuttered.

"My apologies, but Genkai-sama is not home at the moment."

I ceased my panicked flailing at those words. A flush began to burn at my ears as I realized that this wasn't Genkai-sama. Unable to speak, I simply stared at her as she continued to speak.

"She went out to do some errands and won't be back until much later tonight. I'm very sorry, Kenta-san." She smiled sweetly and apologetically at me. Somehow her immediate use of my first name seemed appropriate.

"Oh. I see." I was unable to completely hide my disappointment. "Um...may I ask your name?"

"My name is Yukina." Even though her eyes were a deep red, there was something so gentle about them that I felt compelled to keep speaking to her.

"Ah, Yukina-san," I began, "I'm sorry for bothering you."

She shook her head again. "It was no bother." She regarded me with open curiosity. "You wanted to learn about Yusuke-kun?"

A thought struck me. She lives here with Genkai-sama apparently. She just called Urameshi, "Yusuke-kun". Therefore, there is a good chance that she may be able to help me with my article.

"Yes. I'm writing up a story about him, and I was hoping to get some quotes from the people who really know him. I've spoken to Keiko-san, Shuuichi, Botan-chan, and Hiei-san." I was babbling. "I was hoping to get some insight from his teacher but I guess she's not here...Is there any chance you have had some acquaintance with him?"

A smile slowly spread on her face and she nodded. "Yes, I know Yusuke-kun."

Yes! Resisting my intense urge to do a fist pump, I smiled back at the small girl. "Is it all right if I interview you then, Yukina-san?"

"Certainly. Would you like some tea, Kenta-san?"

After I agreed, we walked inside after I took off my shoes, and I found myself staring at the interior of the temple. Genkai-sama really did have some nice taste in decorating. But enough about that, I have to keep focused on the story.

She brought me to a small table near a window, and went to fetch the tea. I sat down, looking around. Out the window, I could see a really healthy, vibrant garden, and I couldn't help but wonder if Shuuichi had ever seen it. It was something I don't think I could ever grow personally. The plants just looked so well cared for that I couldn't stop staring at them in awe at the love put into them. As Yukina-san placed the tray down in front of me and began pouring the tea into two delicate-looking white cups with a gold inline and design, she glanced over to where I was staring.

"Do you like plants, Kenta-san?"

Turning back to look at her, I nodded energetically. "Yeah, well it's a bit embarrassing, but I've always wanted to have a garden of my own. And these plants...they are just so big and healthy-looking! I would love to grow some like them one day."

"Shuuichi-kun helps with the gardening some times, and gives me advice on how to take care of them." She looked down into her cup, eyelashes lowered as she inhaled the warm aroma before looking back up to me with another one of her innocent smiles. "If you would like, I could show you them later while I garden."

"I would be honored if you would allow me to assist you, Yukina-san." Aha, so Shuuichi did have a hand in growing these beauties.

We spent the next few minutes exchanging pleasantries, and I found Yukina-san to be a nice, if somewhat ignorant, conversationalist. She had no knowledge of the current events taking place, very little thought on fashion, and it became quickly clear to me that she must be being home-schooled, or not in school at all. Even without a lot of knowledge though, she was engaging, sweet, and had a knack for overcoming any awkward moments within the conversation, disarming me with a complete, open smile. She wasn't my type of girl, but definitely a sweetheart.

I decided to get down to business. "So, how long have you known Urameshi?"

One finger came up to her lips in thought, and she responded with some uncertainty. "Quite some time I guess. Ever since..."

She hesitated. I pounced, knowing the signs of a person with information she wasn't sure if she should tell me or not.

"Ever since what?" I sent my most dazzling and encouraging smile her way.

For some reason, she didn't seem to even notice. "I'd rather not talk about it, if you do not mind." Her eyes were pleading and her tone was exceedingly cool and polite, and the reporter part of me that would have tried to get the story anyway faded away to regular Kenta. I couldn't ignore that look.

"All right. Um..." I changed the subject to a safer one. "What do you think about Urameshi?"

Her expression immediately became more relaxed and less closed. "Yusuke-kun is very nice. He and Kazuma-kun always make me laugh."

Kazuma? Who's that?

"Uh...Kazuma?"

She blinked at me. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew of him. You mentioned so many of his friends earlier."

I still have no idea who she's talking about.

"Kazuma-kun is very kind to me. He always comes to visit and see how I am doing." She smiled. "Sometimes he even brings me gifts, and tells me about what has happened recently."

Sounds like someone has a huge crush on Yukina-san and from the way she talks about it, she has no idea. "Can you describe what he looks like?" Maybe I can interview this guy also. He sounds friendly enough.

"Okay." She brought up one hand to indicate his height. "He's very tall, and has small eyes." She used her hands to make her eyes appear smaller, and I bit back a laugh at her earnest effort to describe him to me. "He has orange hair which kind of comes out in a puff." Showing me the hairstyle with her hands over her head, Yukina-san looked very serious.

I kept myself from even letting my mouth twitch into a smile. And suddenly it hit me and I didn't need to worry about laughing by accident. Kazuma. Kuwabara Kazuma! The only guy with orange hair like that who I know Urameshi knows! Of course—how could I be so stupid! I was so used to hearing his name as Kuwabara from everyone that I had forgotten that his first name was Kazuma. I've never heard anyone use his first name before, outside of roll call.

"A-actually Yukina-san, I realize now that I do know him," I stammered.

She seemed pleased that her description of him was so effective.

"So he comes here a lot?"

"Usually three or four times a week. Sometimes Genkai-sama plays a joke on him." She spoke as if she found no humor in it, just stating a fact. I began to wonder what sort of sense of humor Yukina-san had. "She leaves the door open for Kazuma-kun and asks me to hide."

I waited for the punch line for a minute before getting impatient for her to continue. "And then what happens?"

Looking at me with big doe-turned-vampire eyes, she replied seriously, "I don't know. I was hiding."

I didn't know how to respond to that.

She continued without seeming to note my reaction. "I always did wonder what she did though."

Out of curiosity, I spent the next ten minutes or so quizzing Yukina-san on what she knew about "Kazuma-kun". It was amazing how open Kuwabara was with the soft-spoken girl. I heard about his dreams, his inspirations, his fears.

At first, I felt almost annoyed at the way that she spoke about him. He didn't deserve such praise and matter-of-fact friendship! And then, it struck me. I realized what was blocking me from being receptive to Yukina-san's description of him—Keiko-san's, Shuuichi's, Botan-chan's faces all swirled through my mind before fading, replaced by Yukina-san's happy face. It was that bias, that prejudice, which I had clung to so fiercely for so much of my life. The closed, already decided belief that Kuwabara was a bully, a moron, and an ugly beast. Seeing him from her point of view was like seeing the man for the first time without the blinders on. It was kind of shocking. And I found myself empathizing with Kuwabara in a way that I could almost not believe that I was. The way that she described him—I couldn't help but believe every word.

The conversation finally lapsed when I had nothing more to ask her. For the first time during my search to understand these strange people, I honestly had nothing to say.

She regarded me with serious, but gentle eyes, and I felt a calmness come over me. This was exactly the type of conversation I needed. One open and honest. Yukina-san wasn't trying to teach me, wasn't trying to prove something to me in the way that everyone else had. She spoke because I had asked to hear. And so I heard.

"Well Kenta-san. It's about time I start weeding. Would you like to join me?" she asked pleasantly.

I nodded.

She rose and led me to the garden outside; all the while keeping my attention by pointing out interesting furniture or pictures that Genkai-sama had placed within her temple. Stopping at the door, she paused to change to a different pair of slippers, and motioned for me to do the same. With one hand she slid the door open, and my attention was captured by the outside flora.

We walked outside into the sunlight, and I am pretty sure my mouth was wide open with awe. Damn, I should become a martial artist! Get big bucks, get physically fit, and get an enormous temple like this—I'd be set for life!

Yukina-san handed me a pair of gloves, clippers, and a weeding implement—I think it's called a digger. We started off by weeding, hunched over side-by-side in an easy camaraderie. The motions were easy, and in a matter of minutes, we had a pile of weeds on the side steadily growing.

"So Yukina-san, do you do this often?"

"Yes. It's rather relaxing, working in the garden without having to worry about anything." She absentmindedly brushed sweat from her brow with one glove as she spoke.

"Even in a kimono?" My voice must have sounded slightly incredulous and amused because she paused to look at me.

"Is that strange Kenta-san?"

"Uh..." I didn't want to insult her. "I...guess not."

She smiled. "Maybe it is, a little. But I haven't really watched other people garden before, so I don't know what a normal gardener would wear. Besides," she nodded to herself, "I like wearing a kimono." Perhaps because of my comments though, she proceeded to pull back the sleeves of her kimono, tying them into place, revealing slender, pale arms.

"Do you go everywhere in a kimono?"

"Hmm...I suppose I do. Genkai-sama was kind enough to buy me several other kimonos and other types of clothing, but I prefer this one."

Oh yeah, I never did ask. "Are you and Genkai-sama related? Is she your mother perhaps?"

"No. Genkai-sama is my friend. It was very kind of her to allow me to stay here for a while."

My mind started going through several possible scenarios that led Yukina-san to live with a friend rather than with her family. She could be an orphan, or maybe she had a falling out with her family. That could be the thing that she didn't want to talk about. Was Urameshi somehow involved in this? I needed more information.

"Do you leave the temple a lot?"

She blinked at me. "Why would I?"

"You know, for shopping, hanging out with friends, getting ice cream and all that."

"Ice cream?"

I was aghast. "Yeah, ice cream. You know, that delicious, cold stuff that melts when you eat it?" Oh my Kami. When she shook her head at me, I couldn't believe it. This poor girl had no idea what ice cream was. She really was isolated, had very little knowledge about the world around her. She seriously needed to get out more.

"Usually my friends come here to visit me. I..." She began clipping away branches on a tree. "I prefer to stay here."

"Oh."

"Actually..." A small frown marred her normally relaxed expression. "Hiei-kun was supposed to come by today. But he hasn't shown up."

"Hiei-_**kun**_?" My voice almost cracked. She was addressing that crazy jungle boy like _that_? Taking another good look at Yukina-san, I felt growing respect for her and her lack of fear. I would never dare to address Hiei-san so informally! He'd probably eat me!

She didn't seem to notice my shock. "Kenta-san, do you need a refreshment?"

"N-no. I'm fine, thank you. What should I do about this tree?"

The serious-eyed girl began to explain what she wanted me to do when I heard it. The almost inaudible sound of footsteps reached my ears. Before I could even turn around, what I heard Yukina-san say was enough to freeze me in my position.

"Hiei-kun!"

"Yukina."

I slowly stood up from my crouched position and took a quick look from the corner of my eye. Yep, that was Hiei-san all right. In the same clothes too! Brushing off dust and dirt from my pants, I finally swiveled around to face him. "G-good afternoon Hiei-san."

He immediately looked annoyed, and I had a distinct feeling that he wasn't very pleased to see me again or at all. "Hn." His tone was scathingly indifferent to my presence. I would have been much more scared of him if it weren't for the two ice creams in his hands, innocently beginning to melt.

Oblivious to the sudden tension in the air, Yukina-san looked down at the ice cream that he held. "Hiei-kun, what is that?"

"Nothing. Try it." He proffered one to her so aggressively that, for a moment, I thought for sure that the ice cream was about to fall out and land on her clothes.

She took off her gloves, letting them drop to the ground, and gingerly held the cone. Her nostrils flaring cutely, she sniffed the cold treat, almost getting some in her nose. Finally, she bit into the top curiously, and I was amused to see her eyes widen in surprise.

"It's soft!" This time she took a lick of it, rather than trying to bite it.

"It's sweet snow," he said matter-of-factly.

Hmm. Better not tell him that it's ice cream. My eyes narrowed slightly in speculation. What a coincidence that I was just telling her about it...

His gaze seemed to sear into my mind as he looked over at me, though this time I did not feel the same terror of being trapped by some terrible predator. It was as if something here was keeping him from pinning his full-strength death glare at me.

Cheekily (_fricken'-out-of-my-mind-cheekily_), I waved a hand at him. "Nice day for ice cream, huh Hiei-san?" Immediately I received a harsher glare, but yesterday had prepared me for him and I wasn't about to back down after that humiliation.

Besides, seeing him now—offering ice cream to Yukina-san like a little kid who didn't want to admit he cared—made him seem so much more _human._ And I knew that those terrified, wet-my-pants feelings from yesterday were never going to come back. He was actually just a really scary dude who wasn't all that bad...I think.

Judging from his turned back, he had decided to ignore me in favor of listening to Yukina-san talk to him energetically, all the while eating his ice cream, er, "sweet snow".

Suddenly Yukina-san's eyes widened with consternation, and she paused from her words. "I'm sorry Hiei-kun! Would you like some tea?"

He reluctantly agreed, faced with her eager expression and desire to serve him tea. As she bustled away, he stared at where she had been standing, dark red eyes gazing at nothing before sharpening as he glanced suspiciously at me. "Why are you here?" His voice was low, much lower than someone his size should have. Actually, everything about Hiei-san screamed that he was not a boy. He may have the look of one, but his eyes and his voice told me otherwise. He was a man.

"To see Genkai-sama."

"... She's not here." I could tell from his flat tone and icy, burning red eyes that he did not want me here.

"Yukina-san is helping me with my article." Since you wouldn't.

He took a step closer, and I swear that the air got warmer. We were almost nose to nose (if it weren't for the height difference!) and his expression was one of cold displeasure. "I'd advise you to leave."

"You seem pretty protective of her." My words bothered him; he was suddenly a few steps back when I blinked. Why did that affect him so much? I continued on my thought, trying to figure out the strange relationship between Hiei-san and Yukina-san. "It's not like you're dating her or anything, right?"

Before he could kill me (trust me, he was going to), a curious and familiar voice spoke up.

"Dating?"

Oh shit! It's Yukina-san, this time coming out from an entrance behind where I was standing. She had come back carrying a new tray and three cups of steaming tea, though her sleeves were still pulled back from gardening. The ice cream was carried precipitously on the cone, but she was doing a good job of balancing the remains of the melting treat. We both looked at her.

"What is dating?" questioned the sweet girl again so innocently that I felt myself becoming flustered to find a way to answer that with Mr. Jungle Boy glaring daggers at me from behind Yukina-san. I never knew there were people who didn't think about dating. How do I always get myself into these situations?

"Um...dating...you see...uh," I stuttered out first before a flashbulb brightened in my mind. "It's when you constantly keep company with someone and become really, really good friends with them. You spend a lot of time with that person and try to really get to know each other."

"Oh I see!" She smiled with sudden comprehension, and bobbed slightly in place with some inner delight, still balancing the tray with ease. "I am dating Genkai-sama, Kazuma-kun, and Hiei-kun!"

Yukina-san looked so pleased at understanding the idea, I didn't have the heart to say anything. Who knows, Kuwabara might even thank me for it. It was hilarious though to see Hiei-san's expression alter from annoyance to anger to finally a resigned look mixed with irritation. The traitorous thought of '_Take that jungle boy!'_ ran through my head before I quickly suppressed it. Who knows, maybe that guy can read minds too.

As if in response, his gaze whipped towards me even as Yukina-san offered him a cup of tea, and I innocently continued to talk with her, accepting my own new cup. "So yeah...once you're done with your ice cream and we finish our tea, shall we continue gardening?"

"Of course, Kenta-san." She placed the tray on a flat slab of stone, grabbing the ice cream, and turned back to address Hiei-san. I scrutinized them both, ignoring the words that they spoke and focusing on the actions. I had to figure this out.

Watching the way that Hiei-san treated Yukina-san—a mixture of gentle kindness hidden by gruff movements and silence—gave me an epiphany. I had never seen this strange boy who was a man act so kindly to anyone. Sure, this is only my second time seeing him, but I could tell.

Hiei-san loved her.

A second thought struck me. If Kuwabara loved Yukina-san...and Hiei-san loved Yukina-san...then it was a full-blown triangle! My mind felt blown away by the concept, so much so that Yukina-san paused from her conversation with Hiei-san to ask me if something was wrong because my face was so white.

I hurriedly reassured her that nothing was wrong, and started clipping away leaves from a bush. My mind was working furiously.

It all made sense now. Hiei-san had reacted especially negatively towards the mentioning of Kuwabara's name the first time I met him. And I bet that if I had spoken to Kuwabara, he would react just as badly to Hiei-san being mentioned. I'd never really seen a real love triangle before. I didn't know they really existed outside of dramas and mangas.

Glancing quickly at Hiei-san, then over to Yukina-san's happy face, I could tell that she had no clue. In fact, it seemed that she was oblivious to any man's interest in her. It was strange...but I was beginning to suspect that Yukina-san was a complete innocent when it came to love or dating or anything like that. She was a child who did not yet feel the pangs of a crush or of heartbreak. Yet...

When I had first watched the way that she tended the plants, I could see another side of Yukina-san. A lot of people might just look her over once and dismiss her as a complete innocent without a cruel bone in her body. Just a few days ago, I might have also. Now I can see more—Yukina-san is a survivor who has no qualms about doing what she has to. If she was on a camping trip with friends, and there was a bear coming at them to gobble them all up for dinner, she would definitely be the one who brings out the big-ass rifle and shoots him till he's dead.

I'm not crazy. It's written all over the way that she gardens. Her actions scream someone who is able to tough it out in most situations without ever breaking down into tears over her misfortune. The way she matter-of-factly snips off beautiful buds or ruthlessly rips out weeds is evidence enough. The way she doesn't even flinch when she gets scratched up while gardening.

Something happened to her long ago. Maybe her lifestyle, maybe her parents—I have no idea. But something made her stronger than most people could ever imagine being. And I found myself admiring and slightly fearing her for it. I wouldn't want to be the person that pissed off Yukina-san.

"Kenta-san? Um, Kenta-san?"

I shook my head slightly, realizing that I had once again been lost in thought. It seems to happen a lot to me lately. "Sorry Yukina-san. I was just thinking." I looked over to her and realized Hiei-san had left. "When did Hiei-san...?"

She smiled at me, using one arm to brush away sweat from her forehead. "Hiei-kun left a few minutes ago. He said he had somewhere else to be."

Glancing at her hands, I noticed the ice cream was gone. "Done with it?"

"Yes." Her smile grew, and I was astonished by the budding beauty in her face. "I really enjoyed that sweet snow. I'm glad Hiei-kun happened to have some."

Wow. Yukina-san was going to be quite the looker when she got older. Heck, she was already good-looking. Surveying the gardens to see if Hiei-san really had left while I had been in my thoughts, I had a very strange, prophetic feeling that I would never see him again. That I had been lucky to even see him twice—even once.

"Yeah," I agreed cheerfully to her words, "What a great coincidence!" Coincidence, my foot. Very clever Hiei-san. My sneaking suspicion that he had been listening in on us earlier grew. "Are you ready to continue gardening?"

"Ah, yes!"

We worked side by side for a few minutes in silence. The quite atmosphere was a nice change from the frantic pace of everyday life, and I let my mind drift into space as I worked. I kind of wish every day was like this, without school or chores. Still wondering what it was that Yukina-san hadn't wanted to talk about, I decided to take a risk.

"Yukina-san? Could I ask you something?"

"What is it Kenta-san?"

"That thing you didn't want to tell me about," I hesitated. "Is there any chance that you would be willing to talk about it? If it has to do with Urameshi, then I really would like to hear about it."

Deep red eyes drilled into mine, and she didn't speak, her mouth set in a line.

I began to wonder if maybe I had pushed too hard. Maybe it was just that traumatizing to her.

"I was kidnapped by a very cruel man."

What?

"He kept me locked away and used me to make money." Her voice was monotone. "I was there for a very long time...until..." There was a hitch in her voice, and the words started to pour out with relief. "Yusuke-kun, Kazuma-kun, Shuuichi-kun, and Hiei-kun came to save me. They stopped that man and brought me here, to safety." Her hands clutched compulsively at the material of her kimono. "That's when I first met them."

"They saved you?"

"Yes. If I wasn't for them, I might still be there. They fought against all of the bad men and managed to save me."

It was not immediately obvious, but I could see that what had happened to her had really affected her. It hadn't changed her hardiness, but the memory still shook her slightly. A wave of compassion rolled over me, and my respect for her and her rescuers grew. To think that Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei-san had risked their lives to save her. She wasn't even related to any of them, yet they had somehow done it. Sure, I could see Shuuichi doing something like that (maybe he knocked out bad guys with math equations!), but Yusuke?

And Kuwabara. He was, more than any of them, not at all what I had thought he was. Seeing him helping those kids, hearing about him from Yukina-san—I really knew nothing about him. I resolved then and there to try to change the way I looked at people. From now on Kawasaki Kenta was going to give everyone a chance. Or at least, I would try to be better about it. I wasn't going to just listen to what everyone else thought—a true reporter makes his own opinion after detailed research.

I left the temple after another hour of gardening with Yukina-san. She seemed sad to see me leave, and I reassured her that all she needed to do was call me and I would be happy to help her weed again. I wondered if she was much lonelier than she let on. I gave her my phone number, and bid her a good night, knowing that the sun was setting soon completely.

On the bus, my head began to hurt a bit as I tried to picture Yusuke and Kuwabara's faces. The images that came up with were blurry and confusing. I began to wonder...did I ever really look at either of them in the face before? The time passed quickly.

The first thing I did when I got home was open up some of my yearbooks. Flipping through the pages, I searched for a picture of Yusuke. He wasn't in the first two yearbooks I looked through. Finally, I found a picture of him in last year's yearbook. He didn't looked pleased to be there, and I bet that Keiko-san had forced him to come.

Staring hard at his picture, I was astonished to realize that he was actually good looking. He didn't look very old or tough—he just looked like a kid in junior high who was forced to take a picture. He was just another kid. And I wondered how an entire school had managed to warp his image into the state that it was now. It was a miracle that Yusuke hadn't killed someone, the way that he was treated.

Then I started looking for pictures of Kuwabara. They were actually easier to find; he hadn't avoided the yearbook photo sessions. He was smiling in the first picture I had found, and what struck me as odd was how kind his eyes were. His face wasn't as ugly as I had envisioned it to be. It was plain—not handsome in the way that Yusuke's was, but there was character in his face. He did look older than someone in junior high, but he still had that ability that only kids have to smile without a care, without all the awkwardness of faking a smile or being afraid that someone will judge you for the way that you smile.

My eyes glanced over hundreds of other pictures in several of the yearbooks, and it became obvious to me that Yusuke and Kuwabara looked no different than so many of the other students. And I felt ashamed. Damn it. These were the kids that I had made fun of, feared, and demeaned into monsters? I felt like my whole world had dropped beneath my feet and I was drowning in my shame.

That night, I went straight to bed after dinner, and forced myself to try fall asleep with an empty mind. But that didn't keep the thoughts of Yusuke and Kuwabara away.

* * *

Well this is the end of the sixth chapter. Phew. Just a few more days (chapters?!) till the end. Thanks for reading!


	7. Wednesday

Well, here is the next chapter. Just a bit more to go—I didn't expect to be so close to the end! Enjoy!

**Rui Amano:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Yeah, Kenta definitely gets into a lot of crazy situations—but it's all for his good (I'd like to think). Hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters.

**eunice. heart:** Thank you for your review; I definitely try to keep them in character. If you see any discrepancies, don't hesitate to holler. :) I like the concept too—just wasn't sure how other people would react. (By the way, I put a space in between your name because something screwy was happening with the document when I didn't have the space. Don't know why...)

**loretta537:** Yeah, I'd say he's learning. This chapter in particular, I think, is one of him really starting to grow up. Please enjoy!

**Fire in the hole:** I was half-tempted to have Botan appear and reveal that there really was a hidden elevator. Actually, you mentioning Genkai really motivated me for Chapter 8! I originally wasn't going to put her in, but I'm definitely seeing a good place for her now.

**Disclaimer:** I have no claim on Yu Yu Hakusho. I do have a claim on Kenta-kun.

* * *

Chapter 7 – Manning Up

Wednesday morning. I woke up with a headache and an enormous disinclination to get out of bed. My alarm screeched for another five minutes in my ears, red numbers flashing abruptly every other second, before finally giving up on me and settling down to a quiet ticking noise. Closing my eyes, I grabbed a hold of my covers and twisted to the other side of the bed, trying to go back to sleep rather than face another day.

About twenty minutes later I would estimate, my mother came into the room, her footsteps impatiently loud. "Kenta? Kenta, why haven't you come down yet?"

I didn't speak, clenching my eyes tightly closed. Please just leave. Please.

She bustled up next to the bed, roughly shaking my shoulder till my teeth chattered against each other. "Kenta?" The disapproval of my laziness was evident in her voice. "If you don't get up right now—" My reluctant eyes met hers as she pushed me onto my back to face her. Her breath hitched with surprise and I vaguely wondered what she saw as her face paled.

"I don't want to go to school today Okaasan," I finally said, though I felt an inward shock and thrill at the audacity of my words. But something, something in me, felt so strongly about this that I couldn't deny the words from escaping my mouth.

Lips tightly pursed, she slowly removed her hand from my shoulder and walked out of the room without another word, closing the door behind her. I had a feeling that later tonight, I would pay for my attitude. But it was worth it to avoid today.

I'm not sure how long I sulked in bed, but by the time I got up, it was easily in the afternoon. Next to my bedroom door was a tray with a bowl of vegetable rice and a bigger, covered bowl of soup, which I identified as udon once I opened the lid. It was still weakly steaming, but I knew it must have been placed here hours ago, because both my parents had to be at work by now. A swell of gratitude built in my throat for my mother's understanding.

My mind remained purposely blank as I sat down with my tray to eat in the kitchen. The rice stuck coldly in my throat as I tried to swallow, and the udon didn't taste like anything, though normally my mother's udon was filled wonderfully delicious and thick noodles. It occurred to me that there was nothing wrong with the noodles; I was the problem.

Sitting there in my pajamas, hair sticking out in all directions, I felt a growing resentment towards everyone. Why did I have to sit here, miserable and guilt-ridden, while everyone else happily went on with their lives? But that wasn't fair. It's not their faults that I'm an idiot.

My chopsticks fell into the bowl of remaining soup with a resounding plop of liquid. I stared down at the table, vaguely noticing the scratches that had been part of the surface since I had been a little boy drawing masterpieces on the table as a surprise to my mother and father. I just felt so stupid.

Kuwabara. Yusuke. My head hurt. Nothing made sense—were they monsters, was I a monster, _was I really __**that **__wrong, that stupid?_ How many people were just as blind and cruel as me? I thought of Keiko-san, who hadn't been in my thoughts much for the past few days. Shocking, since I know that just a week ago I would have been dreaming of the day that she would see that I was the right guy for her and not that lowlife Yusuke. But that's not reality; it never was. I wondered, still staring down at the table, hand lightly running against the grooves, if Keiko-san had to deal like people like me every day. How did she keep from exploding in righteous anger? How much did she have to put up with her friends because they couldn't accept Yusuke?

Shuuichi. He seemed so perfect. Handsome, smart, kind—yet I recall that when I first heard of him, I labeled him off as a geek who probably had no chance with the ladies. He had been nothing like I had imagined. Neither had Botan-chan been what I thought she would be. A raver because of her eye and hair color? Ha! She was a wonderful, sweet girl who could make my heart flutter with a single glance. Not scary in the slightest.

With those thoughts whirling in my head, I began to see something about myself that I hadn't before. Every person I had met in the last five days was nothing like I had thought. Always before meeting one of them, I had already established an image of who they should be, rather than leaving my mind open to welcome who they were.

Even Hiei-san was a different person than I wanted to pretend he was. He wasn't some thug that wanted to kill everyone. Well, maybe he did want to kill some people. But I had seen that other side, the protective, caring side that had taken care of Yukina-san and kept her company. I wondered what had happened to make him grow up so fast—to give him that look in his eyes that the world was against him and he did not care? Did he even go to school? What would it be like to have him as a friend? Shuuichi could probably tell me, since they seemed to be friends.

And Genkai-sama, who I had never met. She probably was not some huge, buff woman with tons of scars. Heck, she might even just be some sweet old granny like I had wished and prayed for—

The phone rang suddenly, startling me. I stared at the receiver as the piercing rings continued to resound in the kitchen, hesitant to pick up the phone. Unwilling, I finally clasped the cold plastic in my hand and picked it up, using my most polite voice. "Hello? Kawasaki residence."

A gravelly, female voice spoke in my ear. "Is this Kenta?"

Who was this? "Yes," I said cautiously after a pregnant pause of gathering my wits. "May I ask who is calling?"

"This is Genkai." The voice sounded amused. "I would like to meet the boy that spent hours gardening with Yukina. Meet me tomorrow at Yukimura Shokudo right after you get out of school. You know, the ramen shop run by Keiko's family. I expect that you know where it is."

She hung up.

My hands were shaking as I tried to set the phone back in its place, almost dropping the whole piece in my shock. I had not expected Genkai-sama herself to ever call me. I...I was going to talk to a famous martial artist tomorrow who could probably bend me into a pretzel with her smallest finger!

But tomorrow was the day I was going to talk to Yusuke too. I felt myself grow light-headed. How was I going to do this? What if I had done something that had offended Yukina-san and Genkai-sama was going to kick my butt? No, calm down Kenta. There's no way she would call you like this and invite you for a cup of ramen if Yukina-san was upset at you. Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. I just hope whatever she wants to talk about doesn't take too much time, or I might miss out on my interview.

My head was still reeling, and I felt no closer to peace than I had at the beginning of this day. Spending a few minutes cleaning the tray and unfinished bowls of food, I tried to sort my mind back into some semblance of order—without much success.

Damn it all! Forget this, I just need some air. Yeah, some air to clear my head. I practically shot up the stairs to my room, brushing my teeth, trying to smooth my hair down out of its personal funk, and throwing on some real clothes.

Outside, the sun was lower in the sky than I expected, and I glanced down at my watch. Or rather where my watch should be. Shit, Kenta you are a mess today! I figured it wasn't worth it to go back in the house. If I did I'd probably lose what energy I had and be unable (or should I say unwilling?) to leave it again. Hoping no one from school would see me and realize that I played hooky today, I sidled off to another part of the neighborhood, walking broodingly. I couldn't help it; I really was upset.

Then I heard something from around the corner of a street. Laughter and loud voices that sounded slightly familiar. Maybe I knew them from school? I peeked over and squinted at the sight of three boys in uniforms playing with a cat. A cat that was quickly growing larger in my vision. A cat that was—

Ack!

The cat landed with a cheerful meow on my chest, claws immediately digging into my clothes and skin to maintain the grip. I winced, but brought up my hands to hold him properly before he started drawing blood. We stared at each other in mild astonishment on both our parts.

He licked my nose with his soft, almost furry tongue and I couldn't help but laugh.

The response pleased him and he rubbed his head against my chest, a purr rumbling from the depths of his body, so deep that I actually felt his sides shake against my arms and chest. "Hey there little guy," I said affectionately. I did have a thing for cats, though my parents wouldn't let me keep any. Truth is, I think my dad is allergic to their fur. Sucks, right?

I heard footsteps approaching, and I glanced past his furry ears to see the three boys, about my age, coming closer cautiously. Wait a minute. These guys do look familiar.

Grateful to let my mind work on something less painful than my earlier thoughts, it didn't take me long to identify them as Kuwabara's cronies. No, that's the wrong word. His friends.

"Is this your cat?" I asked, smiling when the feline butted my chin to demand a scratch.

"Yeah. Give her back and there won't be any trouble, all right?" said a serious-looking boy, dark hair closely shaved to his head and his hands roughly shoved into the pockets of his uniform. The other two were right behind him, and they all looked ready for a fight.

Holding this cat (who I guess is a girl) gave me sudden inspiration and insight. People who seemed to like cats as much as I do can't be all that bad. And I decided to try a different approach than my normal cower-and-run tactic screaming "thugs, thugs!". Keeping a firm hold on the cat with one arm, I held out the other for a handshake.

"Hi. My name is Kawasaki Kenta." I smiled broadly at them. "It's nice to meet you. Will you tell me your names?"

Their incredulous stares merely strengthened my resolve to be as open-minded as possible. I had a feeling few people ever tried to greet them the way I was doing. When none of them reached for my hand, I used it to scratch the cat between the ears, eliciting another pleased purr. "She's a real beauty, isn't she?"

"Her name is Eikichi." Out of the corner of my eye, I noted that it was the chubby one with black hair gelled back who spoke to me. He did seem the friendliest looking out of the three, though he had put on a believable mean face.

"Eikichi." I tried out the name, and nodded with approval. "That's a nice name."

Her dark eyes stared up at me with curiosity, and one small white paw batted at my face to retain my attention, claws retracted (thank Kami). She was honestly one of the cutest cats I had ever seen before, with a white furred face in the shape of a heart with light brown fur almost everywhere else. I inspected her closely, and noticed darker brown fur starting at the top of her forehead and went down her back like a cloak, even reaching her arms and legs. She pawed my mouth, which made me laugh again, and two bells jingled merrily around her neck.

The three guys seemed to relax a little after seeing Eikichi's approval of me. It's nice to know that people trust me because I was cat-approved, and not because of any actual merit.

"Here. I believe she belongs to you." I gently proffered her to the chubbiest of the three, who took her after a moment's hesitation.

He glanced down at her, then back at me. Almost reluctantly, but with a slightly sheepish smile, he offered his hand to me. "My name is Okubo. Sorry for the cold shoulder, man. You just never know about people around here."

I clasped it and sent him a reassuring smile. "That's fine. I know exactly what you mean." In fact, I suspected that he did not tell me his last name in case there were eavesdroppers who were not happy with the Sarayashiki boys. It wasn't a good idea to get your family involved when you spent time fighting other gangs. Or at least that what I think drove them to keep their surnames secret from me.

The one who hadn't spoke yet jerked a thumb at his face with a slight smile. "I'm Kirishima. You go to Sarayashiki?"

I nodded which elicited a pleased reaction from the three. The only one to not introduce himself stepped forward and shook my hand with a strong grip. He grinned at me, scratching at a bandage on his cheek with the other hand. "Hey, I'm Sawamura. You do look kind of familiar."

I felt strangely vindicated by their friendliness towards me. I mean, who would have ever thought I'd be rubbing elbows with the "thugs of Sarayashiki"? We chilled together for a good twenty minutes, just playing with Eikichi and talking about the week of tests coming up. I was a bit amazed by how much I had in common with these boys. And I felt a little better than I had at the beginning of the day.

"Yeah dude, I am not looking forward to that science test," groaned Okubo. "I've been trying to study more once in a while, but I just can't see myself passing it."

Kirishima scratched as his short brown hair, grinning that silly grin that was his trademark around his friends. "Chill man. We'll help you out. Remember, science is **my** specialty. My grandpa was a biologist, so when I was a little, he was always telling me about stuff like that. I don't even need to study and I can pass easy."

"That's good," laughed Sawamura. "Cause I could use all the help I could get in math!"

"Hey, wait a minute. I didn't say I could do math!" protested the proclaimed science-savvy student, twisting around a feather for Eikichi to play with. All three of them laughed so good-naturedly that I couldn't help but laugh with them.

"Wow, I didn't know you guys cared so much about your..." I paused, realizing what I sounded like (a prick?!).

All three looked over at me with sheepish grins, and I was relieved to see that they weren't offended. "Our grades, right?" laughed Okubo. "Yeah, we didn't really care until _**Akashi-sensei**_." Somehow the way that he said that name was both derisive and amused. His nostrils flared with indignation, and my reporter senses started tingling.

"Akashi-sensei?" Of course I knew of him—heck I've had him as a teacher! He was that rat-faced, short man who always was sneering at someone. I'll never forgive him for that D on one of my essays. That essay was brilliant! Brilliant!

Well, maybe it wasn't that great. But the way he looked down his nose at me and gingerly held my paper away from him with his thin little fingers like it was garbage...grr. Not the type of guy to give you the warm and fuzzies.

"Aw dude, you have no idea," sighed Sawamura, rubbing his head irritably. "It was awful."

"What happened?"

"Akashi-sensei decided one day that we were fighting way too much. You know, damaging the school's rep and all that. So he decided to threaten us with the loss of Okubo's job."

I glanced over at Okubo who looked a little annoyed, as if remembering that day. He clenched his fist tightly, staring down at it.

"Yeah. I had to get special permission to have that job. And my mom was really sick. My job was literally the only thing keeping my family from being thrown into the streets."

Damn. That's harsh. I found it difficult to speak for a moment, stunned by the insensitivity of that prick teacher. "D-did you manage to keep it?"

He nodded with a smile, kneeling to pet Eikichi. "We had to promise not to fight for a week and all get at least fifty percent on our upcoming science test. It was me, Kirishima, Sawamura, and Kuwabara."

So Kuwabara was part of this story. "And you did it?"

"It wasn't that hard," laughed Kirishima, but his smile faded. "Well, at least not for us. We were mostly worried about Kuwabara. Poor guy kept getting ambushed by other guys every day." He shook his head. "He looked absolutely awful."

Okubo looked almost exultant now, fists clenched. "But Kuwabara did it! He worked his butt off to pass the test and didn't lift a finger against anyone that whole week." Tears welled up at the memory. "I...I was so happy. I honestly didn't think we could do it."

I hid my angry, resentful expression by leaning down to scratch Eikichi behind her ears. It was a lot to take in. And it was almost frustrating—how at every corner there was some fact, some story that was so obvious and just proved further that Yusuke and Kuwabara weren't at all like everyone assumed. How were we all so stupid? Why did they have to be so nice and friendly _**and**_ _**nothing**_ like they were supposed to be? Why did _I_ have to go through this crap? I knew these resentments were unfounded and unfair towards these people who treated me with more fairness than a lot of my supposed "friends" did.

Pushing aside my tormented emotions, I composed myself under the guise of reaching for a particular spot on Eikichi's back. "I..." I cleared my throat after my voice immediately cracked. "I'm glad that it all worked out."

"If it hadn't, we'd have a super skinny Okubo!" teased Kirishima, able to joke and laugh in relief now that there was no threat to his friend's survival.

"Aw, come off it guys. I like my weight!" he protested, and all three of them laughed again.

I laughed also, but it was a weak imitation of a laugh. There was just too much stuff to think about. And I still felt terrible, head still pounding away. It just seemed that no matter what I did, I came face to face with my own failings as a reporter and as a person.

Eikichi ran her body around my legs, giving me comfort more than she could ever know, and I buried my face into her side as I picked her up. The three boys were talking amongst themselves, laughing just like any other group of friends—a stab of envy cut off my breathing. Did I even have friends that were as open as these guys? Kuwabara was a lucky man. Or maybe he had been the one to bring these guys together. They seemed to all hold a great deal of respect for him.

"Actually," Okubo's eyes were wide as he thought. "Kuwabara is the most studious of us now." The other two grinned at me. "He just can't get enough of studying! He left Eikichi with us today, but I think he's still at home doing homework." He shook his head. "It's just crazy, man!"

Almost dropping Eikichi, I managed to keep my grip on the surprised cat who meowed in protest. Kuwabara likes to study? And did I hear right—this cat is his? Kami, this just keep getting better and better (sarcasm much?). ARGH! My increasingly tense grip on Eikichi had discomforted her enough that she swiped a paw at me, leaving shallow grooves in my arm. I showed my repentance by easing my hold on her and petting her soothingly.

I spent some more time with them before I couldn't handle the congeniality towards me anymore. It wasn't them though; it was me. They parted easily with me, promising that I could hang out with them any day and Eikichi obviously was missing me already. If I hadn't felt so bad, it would have really made me feel good that they accepted me without any qualms.

As I walked away with my hands in my pockets and wondering what time it was, I felt a little more at peace alone. Was there anything I could do to make up for what a moron I had been?

And then it hit me. I knew that there was one more thing I had to do before tomorrow. What I was about to do might be the most important thing I will ever do in my life, and I understood that if I didn't do it, I would never be the man I wanted to become.

I headed towards Yukimura Shokudo rather than go back home, and entered the shop quietly. There was a chime of bells as I stepped through the entrance. For the first time today, my mind was clear of all thoughts, and I let the words flow with their own will as I spotted my target.

"Keiko-san."

She turned in surprise, carefully balancing the bowls in her arms. A polite smile crossed her face as she recognized me, and she said, "Just a moment!" before tottering off with the load.

My eyes followed her lithe figure, but to my slight surprise, I really did feel no attraction towards her anymore. I guess it really had been some stupid infatuation with the idea of her rather than the actual person. This wouldn't be the first time that I had put some girl on a pedestal, giving her every perfect trait that I could want without finding out who she really was. That type of dream always ended in disappointment, and I think I finally knew better than that. The next girl I had a crush on, I think I'll try to get to really know her before proclaiming my undying love.

Botan-chan popped into my mind's eye for a moment, but I brushed her image aside. I didn't want to be distracted right now. I came on a mission, and I was going to complete it.

"Kenta-san! Sorry for the wait; it's been pretty busy around here recently. Good news by the way! Yusuke can definitely make it tomorrow at four." She stood in front of me now, brushing aside loose particles from her apron. "Is there something I can do for you?" Her light brown eyes sparkled with some inner amusement, and I wonder if some of Yusuke's other friends had told her about my recent conversations and meetings. I cleared my throat before speaking, wanting her to really hear what I was about to say.

"I came to apologize about Yusuke."

Her eyes widened at my words, but she said nothing, waiting for me to continue. Her hands unconsciously gripped at her apron.

I scratched the back of my head, trying to figure out how to explain how I felt. "I've been talking to a lot of people, and trying to figure out what the heck all you guys saw in him and Kuwabara, but now...now I think I sort of get it. They're not what people claim. They're not bullies and not demons. If anything, it's everyone else who was the bullies. They decided that Yusuke and Kuwabara were the enemies, and treated them as such without any sympathy. And for that...please forgive me Keiko-san!"

I bowed quickly and low, to express how much I meant what I said. I don't think I had ever been as serious as I was now.

Hearing a sniffle, I glanced up to see Keiko brushing away tears. She was...crying?

As she cleared one eye with her palm, she gave me a watery smile. "Kenta-san...thank you. That was...the nicest thing I've ever heard anyone say." Her smile grew wider, and she nodded. "I hear it every day, all those stupid people who judge Yusuke and Kuwabara. They're always whispering new rumors and wondering why I would ever hang out with such delinquents. It's all so..._ridiculous! _But you..."

Looking at her, I could abruptly see something that I never had before. It was almost like Keiko-san was glowing—there's no other word to describe it—with a sort of beautiful, ethereal love. Not for me (you crazy?!), but for the Yusuke that she knew and loved. And suddenly I felt that he really was a lucky guy, to have such a girl who was so devoted to him. And I hoped that one day I could be just as worthy as he was and find a woman who would look at me with those type of eyes. Because she wasn't looking at me anymore; she was looking at Yusuke.

I left after that, heading back home in a bemused daze. I had finally apologized to Keiko-san and maybe even redeemed myself in her eyes. I had spent time with Kuwabara's friends and found them to be much nicer than anyone would have guessed.

So why did I still feel like shit?

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Aaaand done! Kenta-kun really is starting to have some character development (oh noes!). Thanks for reading and have a good day.


	8. Thursday: The Deadline

We're definitely in the home stretch now. I've really enjoyed writing this fanfiction, and I hope you all have enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sticking with me this long!

**Tine:** No, he's not going to get that chance. It would be nice to have them in the story, but Kenta doesn't have enough days till the deadline. No worries though, they'll probably pop up in my next YYH story. :) Thanks for reading!

**Rui Amano:** I'm glad you like him more. He is a nice guy overall I'd like to think, even if he has his flaws. Hope you like this chapter! (Yeah, I love cats! Hmm...does that affect Kenta...)

**Fire in the hole: **Aw, thank you! It makes me happy to hear that you really do like this fic. Kenta definitely is beginning to grow as a character, and become much more mature.

**eunice. heart:** I'm pretty amazed myself that I've been able to update so much! Please enjoy this chapter, 'cause I personally think that the conversation with Genkai and Kenta is especially interesting. :) (Darn, for some strange reason, I still have to have a space in between your name.)

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Chapter 8 – Interviewing the Bad Boy

Today, things were still pretty tense when I came downstairs to get breakfast. My mother didn't even look at me when I came into the kitchen, and my father just kept staring at his newspaper with a burning disapproval, though he pretended to be fascinated with whatever article he was looking at (his eyes didn't move at all).

I was still feeling pretty lousy, but I knew better than to try to get out of going to school twice. My mother may have let me yesterday, but I doubt she would be so forgiving again. It was not proper, in her estimate, for a boy to ever miss a day's work. After all, school is eventually what brings food on the table, and ensures a good future. Kami, I could repeat her word for word!

I grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and poured myself a bowl of cereal, adding a generous amount of milk to tide me over till lunch. My chewing was awkwardly loud to my ears, even though the sugar-coated pieces of cardboard (or should I call it "cereal") had been softened by the liquid. I wanted to find some sort of happy medium with my parents over what happened yesterday, but I just couldn't bring myself to apologize.

Leaving for school didn't come soon enough.

During the morning classes, I was unsurprised to find my mind wandering at every opportunity. I vaguely noticed that both Yusuke and Kuwabara were in class today—I guess Yusuke finished whatever he had left to do. Actually, thinking back, Kuwabara is rarely tardy. Yusuke on the other hand...

Keiko-san did look extra happy today, and I didn't blame her. Yusuke was spending every moment trying to make his absence up to her. Though she acted like she was upset and didn't care a whit about him, I could tell from observing them that she wasn't really mad at all—she was just relieved that he was back.

At one point, I think she indicated me to Yusuke because I caught him staring curiously at me with a surprisingly not scary gaze. He didn't look like he wanted to eat me at all. Not that I believed that old rumor anymore. It was just humorous to think about how I might have reacted a week ago. Peed my pants maybe?

The back of my uniform had begun to stick to my neck in the heat as the day progressed slowly. It was scratchy and uncomfortable, but it kept me awake in classes that I otherwise would have slept through. Hmm, where did my spirit for school go? Wasn't there a time when I really cared about my grades?

Well, that's a lie actually. I guess I do care still...there's just more important issues about my own morality that have been occupying my time and keeping me from properly applying myself.

When the bell rang, indicating that another school day was completed, I was happy to rush out with the rest of the masses—mindless as they were. Kami, I'm going to sound like that jerk, Ren, soon enough. Actually, I haven't thought about that guy in a while. Where has he been recently?

Out of sight, out of mind, I suppose.

Checking my watch, I realized that I should get going towards Keiko-san's restaurant (or rather, her parents'). I didn't want Genkai-sama to be mad at me before she had even met me!

I broke into a brisk jog, clasping one of the straps of my backpack firmly with one hand to keep it from bouncing against my back too much. I made it to the restaurant in record time (which isn't that impressive).

A quick glance around didn't tell me much. How was I supposed to know she was here, if I didn't even know what she looked like? I knew I should have asked Yukina-san to tell me more about Genkai-sama! But then again...I never would have figured that she'd call me.

Standing outside of the restaurant, I felt my mind wander back towards the topic of Yusuke and Kuwabara—as it always did since the beginning of this crazy adventure. I was seriously starting to obsess over it. I mean, it was so obvious now that they were normal kids just like us regular folks. How could have it gotten so out of control?

Before I could start brooding again, I heard a dry voice speak up next to me.

"So...you're Kenta."

My head jerked around really quickly in surprise. Where was—? I looked down, and met eye to eye with a very small, wizened woman. '_Wow, even Hiei-san is bigger_!' was my astonished thought, which I guiltily stowed away, remembering that this woman was a famous martial artist.

"Are you just going to stand there?"

Ah! I bowed as lowly as I could without falling over. "G-G-Genkai-sama! It is an honor!" Even while I was bowing, I realized that that barely put me at eyelevel with her. She really was small.

She snorted. "Get up kid. I know I pretty much forced you to come here today. You don't need to pull that 'honored' stuff on me."

I winced. "Uh...y-yes Genkai-sama. Sorry." This woman was blunt! But as I straightened, I could see a smile playing on her lips. My shoulders relaxed slightly—she probably wasn't going to beat me up if she was smiling.

Slowly, she looked me over, inspecting every inch of me until she was satisfied. I felt myself stiffen initially, but forced myself to relax. "H-how did you know it was me?" I questioned meekly.

As if it was an incredibly stupid question, she snorted even louder. "Come on, kid. It isn't rocket science. Even if Yukina hadn't described you to me, I could tell because you were the only idiot standing outside of a noodle shop rather than going inside to eat."

Ouch.

"Enough about that, though." The woman smirked at me, and I had a feeling that I would never meet anyone quite like her. "Let's go."

"G-go? Go where, Genkai-sama?"

"You can quit stammering kid. I'm not going to eat you." I seemed to amuse her though, because she started walking away from Yukimura Shokudo without even glancing at me. "Come on."

I took one longing look at the safety of the store, before following her. What had I gotten myself into now?

To my surprise, we ended up at the nearby river. Maybe Genkai-sama was a sentimentalist at heart? Indeed, when I snuck a look at her, she looked less cynical and amused by everything, and more serene. I set down my backpack, since it looked like we had reached our destination. After Genkai-sama sat down, I allowed myself to do the same, plopping down next to my crumpled pack.

"So what's eating you?"

I stared at her in astonishment, my neck almost snapping with whiplash at the speed with which I whipped my head to look at her. I clambered back onto my feet, feeling out of sorts. How did she know?! This time she actually laughed at the dumbfounded expression on my face.

"Please kid. It was obvious. You looked like you were about to punch yourself in the face when I arrived. And that whole brooding air—not really what I expected from Yukina's description of you. Obviously, something is bothering you. I may be old, but I'm not blind." Her sharp eyes twinkled mischievously as she rose.

"It's nothing to bother you with Genkai-sama," I began, but stopped when I saw the look on her face. I lowered my gaze, staring at the ground, unable to keep meeting her gaze. "I-it's your pupil."

"Yusuke? What has that dunderhead done to you?" she asked with a knowing roll of her eyes.

I protested without even thinking. "No! No, Yusuke is not at fault in the slightest!" The martial artist seemed genuinely surprised at my outburst, and I lowered my voice back to a reasonable volume. My hands began to clench into frustrated fists. "It's me. I'm at fault here."

I turned to face her fully, ready for any punishment she wished to deal me. "It's completely my fault! I treated Yusuke and Kuwabara like they were monsters—**freaks**! And it was all me! Yusuke is nothing more than a nice guy who's trying to take care of his girl! He's done nothing to deserve contempt! Everyone knows how he risked his own life to keep a little kid safe—he almost died! And Kuwabara—! " I was overcome with emotion: frustration and anger at myself, relief that there was someone to listen.

"Kuwabara isn't an idiot, and he certainly isn't a terrible bully! He has a cat. He studies and does his homework. He defends those weaker than him and is loyal to his friends! He loves just like everyone else does!" I shook my head in disgust, literally trembling now with pure anger at everybody, but especially at myself. "And just listen to those kids! Kids just like me—saying horrible, derogatory things! Labeling them as **demons** that live just to torment the average student in Sarayashiki!"

I couldn't stop myself now nor could I stop the words from pouring out in torrent of shouting and terrible whispers.

"Demeaning them so that they aren't even **human**. **And**..._**and**_!" I felt tears actually beginning to form in the corner of my eyes as I told Genkai-sama everything that I had been feeling for the past two days. "And I'm no better."

Exhausted from my rant, I didn't resist the emotions that I had been trying to sort out, and my head hung in disgust at myself. Tears began to roll down my cheeks, and I forcefully brushed them away.

"I just..." I ground my teeth in shame. "I just feel like such a loser. How could I have been so wrong and so blind? I'm a reporter for Kami's sake! I'm supposed to write the truth in my column. But I'm nothing...just a fraud."

"You idiot."

I looked up at her words, surprised at the cold but amused words. I ran one hand through my hair, scratching at the back of my head furiously, embarrassed at how much I had revealed about myself to an old woman that I didn't even know. "Wha-what?"

Genkai-sama chuckled throatily at me, shaking her head and staring out across the river as the sun lowered. "You kids are always trying to put so much pressure on your own shoulders. I was always sure of that, and here you are proving me right. You act as if everything that was ever done to Yusuke or Kuwabara is your fault." She paused, cocking her head slightly in my direction. "I doubt you were the one who did every stupid little thing to belittle those two."

"But..."

"But nothing." Turning to face me fully just as I had to her, her arms were relaxed behind her back. A wind began to pick up and her grey-streaked pink hair brushed against her wrinkled cheeks. Her eyes were a strong, deep brown that pinned me, keeping me from even moving. "You are a fool if you think that you can right the wrongs of every person out there who has ever judged someone else." Her words were stern. "All you can do now is to allow yourself to grow and learn from your own mistakes. Try to take all the blame on your own shoulders and you will die."

She smirked slightly at me. "Buck up kiddo. You're on your way to being a man soon enough. Don't force it. You're much farther along than most kids your age."

I stared at her wordlessly.

Rolling her eyes at me, she snorted rudely. "You're far too serious for a boy your age. Now snap out of it and go get your interview done! My stupid student might get impatient if you keep him waiting and decide to leave."

A smile began to form on my face at her brusqueness. Something about the way she consoled me, harsh and a little unforgiving, but sensible all the same, reassured me in a way few other things could. And I did feel a lot better after letting all that out. "Thank you, Genkai-sama. Your advice is much appreciated." I bowed as lowly as I could to show my appreciation.

"Well, I didn't expect to have to advise you. I just wanted to get a look at the boy who had made a good impression on Yukina. But, these old bones still have some wisdom in them," she chuckled dryly and pinned me with another serious look. "You've chosen an excellent topic for your article. Yusuke will be happy to tell you all about him. I'll get him to bring me a copy of it—I look forward to reading it."

Genkai-sama walked away without another word and did not look back. As I picked up my discarded backpack and slung it onto one shoulder before inserting my arm into the other strap, I wondered at her words. It sounded as if she thought I was writing about someone else, not Yusuke.

I walked back to Yukirama Shokudo, much slower this time. I had checked my watch, and I still had a good ten minutes before my interview with Yusuke. My time with Genkai-sama had gone by so quickly, yet I did feel a bit more light-hearted. That pain that had surged up in my throat so often since yesterday was still there, but it wasn't as bad as before.

And I have a feeling that it will never quite go away no matter how many years went by—but I didn't want it to. It was an excellent reminder that I was not infallible, and could be just as quick to judge others as anyone else, even if I was supposed to be an impartial reporter.

When I entered the restaurant, Keiko-san immediately came over to greet me. "Hello Kenta-kun!" she said so cheerfully that I was stunned. She just referred to me as Kenta-kun. I wanted to tell her she was all wrong, I didn't deserve such familiarity with her. But Genkai-sama's words quickly resounded in my head, keeping me from saying anything.

I managed a smile, which she returned happily. It was ironic. I had come into this trying to also impress Keiko-san, but trying to discredit Yusuke. Now I was spending my time defending him, and in doing so, impressed Keiko-san without even intending to. And I wasn't even interested in her anymore! C'est la vie.

Before I could open my mouth to say anything, she spoke. "Kenta-kun, Yusuke is already in the back. I hope you don't mind, but I thought you should interview him in my room." She almost laughed at my deadpan expression. "I figured you two wouldn't want any distractions."

"Ah, thank you Keiko-san," I finally said, bowing slightly at her thoughtfulness.

She winked at me. "I'll be sure to bring in some food for you two as well." Indicating for me to follow her with one hand, she headed to the back of the store. I followed bemusedly, still amazed by her calling me "Kenta-kun". Boy, there would have been a time when I would have sung and dance for days for her to call me that. I feel old, and I'm not even in high school.

When she opened the door to her room, I didn't know what to expect. Her room was suitably girly, with several large stuffed animals lining one side of the room and her bed with a flowery pattern occupying the other side. In the back was a large desk and a chair that could roll around and spin that was currently being occupied by one Urameshi Yusuke, who was pushing one foot on the floor to spin the chair faster.

Keiko looked embarrassed for me to see him acting so childishly. "Yusuke!" she said sharply. Her voice must have surprised him, because he almost fell out of his seat, trying to stop the spinning.

He grinned openly at her. "Hey Keiko. I take it back about your room; this chair is awesome." Glancing at me, he nodded. "So you're the Kawasaki kid who wants to interview me."

Strangely, his unimpressed tone put me further at ease. He just sounded so much like Genkai-sama for a moment, that I couldn't help but grin goofily to his confusion. "Yeah, I am." I bowed lowly to his further surprise and Keiko-san's smile. "It's a pleasure to really meet you Yusuke."

If he was put off by my familiar usage of his name, he didn't show it. Instead he jumped onto Keiko-san's neatly made bed, relaxing on the comforter. "Well, let's get this thing started!"

I smiled even wider when Keiko-san groaned. "I trust you'll behave Yusuke," she said dryly. "I'll be back with food in a few minutes."

When the door closed, we eyed each other: Yusuke was giving me a speculative stare while I couldn't help but keep foolishly grinning at him.

"So...is there any reason why you're looking at me like a piece of meat, Kawasaki?"

My smile couldn't get any wider without ripping skin. "Sorry Yusuke. It's just...I've heard so much about you." How could I explain it to him? I spent a whole friggin' week trying to figure out what the heck was going on, and now here I was, standing next to Urameshi Yusuke. And I wasn't frightened in the least.

"Really? Bad stuff?" he grinned slightly at me, unable to stop himself from reacting at my inability to not smile.

"No." This time I did laugh when he shot up out of his prone position in surprise. "I heard a lot of nice stuff actually." Before he could inquire as to who I spoke to, I turned to subject to a more pressing matter. "So, Yusuke, are you ready for a few questions?"

He regarded me with serious brown eyes before letting himself lay back down on the bed. "Sure. Lay them on me."

I chose to occupy Keiko-san's desk, grabbing my notebook from inside my backpack, along with a pen. Normally, I didn't use any recording devices, since I had a pretty sharp mind during interviews. I could remember details for weeks—though it didn't work with anything besides journalism! But this was special.

And as I uncapped my pen, ready to ask him the first question, I paused. What was I going to ask him? About himself? It just didn't feel right. There was something more here...something deep that I **had** to write about. Something about being a real man—doing what one had to do no matter what other people said or thought.

It hit me.

Everything I had been learning, everything I understood, came together. I wheeled the chair around to smile at Yusuke, just as Keiko-san came in with a tray of steaming food. "Can you tell me, Yusuke, what your definition of a man is?"

I was going to write about Kuwabara.

After spending a good one and a half hour conversing with Yusuke and getting his view on a lot of different subjects, I finally headed out back to school to get my paper started. _**Finally**_.

When I entered the news room, most of the news team was already there, scrambling to make sure that the newspaper would be ready to go for tomorrow. Few people seemed to notice my entrance, and even fewer spent the moment to greet me. Most that did notice started whispering fiercely. As I headed to my preferred computer, it occurred to me that I had few real friends here. A week ago, I would have argued that, but I would have been wrong.

Indeed, the people who I once viewed as friends now clumped tightly and adoringly around where Ren was working. Not surprising—they were the type who loved to be around Watari-sensei's favored reporter, trying to milk off his or her success. To think I had been satisfied with that once—ha!

Some of the reporters I wouldn't have minded being friends with, but I had never had a chance to speak with them; the groupies had always alienated me from them in almost all situations. I hoped to have a chance to speak with them later this year. I didn't want adoration anymore; I wanted a group of tight friends who would care and support each other—liked Kuwabara's group.

Turning my attention to my now-ready computer, I began to type like a madman. After all, I was way behind everyone else, having nothing written already. But...so much of what I wanted to say was already in my mind. And I knew that I would have the story of the century ready tomorrow.

An hour later, I showed Watari-sensei a printed-out version of my article. He looked it over once, then twice. By the fourth time, I had started fidgeting with impatience. He wasn't going to _deny_ me this column was he?!

He stood up, and walked up to me, eyes not leaving the paper. Watari-sensei was a stout man of average height, with his one defining trait being his intensely curly mustache. People who had never met him before often stopped to gape openly at his face when they came to the school—it's true, I've witnessed an instance of it! I was surprised to find that I was almost at eye level with him. I could have sworn that I was only at chin level last time! Have I grown?

He cleared his throat, recapturing my attention. "This...is not bad," he admitted with rueful appreciation for a passionate paper, pulling at one end of his mustache. "Very well. You'll get a spot on the front page tomorrow, Kenta." His expression was amused as he sent a leveled look at me. "Congratulations, you're still on the news team. You aren't as washed up as some say."

So Ren _was_ trying to kick me off!

"Continue this type of work and we'll make a good reporter out of you yet. Try to not make so many enemies next time." I realized that Watari-sensei wasn't as oblivious as he seemed about the power struggle between Ren and me. It seems like there are a lot of things I'm just figuring out.

Better late than never.

* * *

And there you have it. One more chapter to go! Have a great day!


	9. Friday: The Aftermath

Wow, I really can't believe it's the last chapter! I really suck when it comes to updating quickly, but it's done. And yes, you'll be able to read some of Kenta's article—I'm not that great at journalistic stuff though, so I hope you like it anyways. :)

**krm3DeeDee:** Thank you very much for your kind words! I really do appreciate it when people indicate that they like my writing. Well, you will certainly see a couple of interesting reactions to the newspaper, though not all of them unfortunately. :) After this fic, I think Kenta will be on his own, so I have no idea if he ever would really get the chance to date Botan or not. I think adding that crush really made him more realistic though.

**eunice. heart:** One day we will figure out this strange disappearance of your name...maybe not. I'm glad you liked the chapter—I always get frustrated and concerned that the chapters aren't good enough. Thanks for reading!

**DaAmazingMeepers: **Yeah, we couldn't let Kenta die before the story was through, now could we? Well here is the next (and sadly last) chapter! Hope you like it very much.

**Fire in the hole:** Their conversation was definitely the part of the story that I got into. That whole word-flowing thing happened there. Everywhere else, I struggle. Yep, you will get a chance to read the article! Please enjoy!

**beautiful-green-beast:** Firstly, I like your name. It made me chuckle inside. Secondly, thank you very much for your review (such nice words to boost the ego!). When you write it like that, Kenta sure sounds like he's matured! Please enjoy this last chapter, and I hope it lives up to your expectations.

**Rui Amano:** Yeah, I kind of skimmed over Yusuke's interview, but I just felt it couldn't add much more to the story at that point (ok, the truth is I couldn't think of interview questions—don't tell anyone). I'm glad Genkai ended up being in the story and playing such a vital role. Here is the last chapter...hmm never thought I'd say that. Kenta's practically a man! Well, not really since he's still in junior high. Enjoy!

**Tina:** Kenta is certainly interesting, if I do say so myself (what does that say for the writer?!). I didn't want to write a fanfiction about a girl OC, because they're used so much more—also I thought it'd be interesting to try writing from a guy's point of view since I'm a girl. Thanks for reading, and I hope you do like this last chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or the YYH characters (no matter how much I plead). Kawasaki Kenta, though, is mine.

* * *

Chapter 9 – Story of the Century

_We have all wondered at some time or another why someone else was prettier than us, or smarter, or handsomer, or stronger. Something that made someone else so much better than we could ever be. Or even, so much worse. We are a society that judges based on appearances and on first impressions, often forgetting the importance of growth, change, and second chances. I have spent most of my life doing just that: judging others based on my own prejudices and fears. But for the last full week, I have met many amazing individuals who do not retain that bias, and they have given me insight about us as people._

__

"_A man isn't worth shit if he doesn't care about his friends," declared Urameshi Yusuke when I spoke to him about his thoughts on how to be a man. And there are many people who would read this and laugh in disbelief because THE Urameshi Yusuke would never say anything like that. Everyone knows that he is a bully, a gang leader, and pretty much a monster. But what everyone believes to be true isn't always._

_The best example is Kuwabara Kazuma, often considered the second toughest kid in Sarayashiki Junior High School. We all can imagine his face. Big, ugly, and he has even been compared to a monkey by some. Kuwabara isn't the boy we think he is. He is a man who puts everything on the line to protect those that he cares about, along with anyone who needs his help. He is a true gentleman who would never lay a hand on a lady without their permission and would gladly sacrifice himself for a cause he believed in. How many people could say the same?_

_When I looked at Kuwabara, before this week, all I saw was an ugly freak who would probably want to kill me. I dehumanized him without a second thought—and I know there are many others who would do the same in an instant. But he is __**human**__. He has worries and problems just like anyone else. He has a pet which he takes care of, he can fall in love, and he can set goals to enrich himself as a person. What would you say Kuwabara's grades would be? C-average? D? Maybe completely failing? Well, after speaking with some of his friends, it has come to my attention that he has worked his way up to A's and B's. And who would have ever guessed that? He plans on attending Bone Engineering High School after Sarayashiki, not just forget school and live on the streets tormenting passersby._

_How much further must it be pressed that Kuwabara and Yusuke are __**not**__ simply boys intent on ruining everyone's lives? Must we all hold ourselves in such high esteem that we can judge others and never relent with our constant opinions? It seems to this humble journalist, that in order for us to grow as a society and to grow as people, we must begin to open our minds to the possibilities, including the idea that very little is as simple as we would like it to be and even less is easy to accomplish. Maybe it's time for us all to set aside our desires to appear "cool" by conveniently forgetting that other people have feelings that can be stepped on just as easily as ours—to mock others and make fun of them so that our so-called friends can laugh at our jokes and we can feel a little bit better about ourselves. It seems that there is too much of that in this world. I say it's time for a change. If you would like to try, I'd suggest talking to Kuwabara Kazuma, and see if you have anything in common with him. You might be surprised—I certainly was. [See __**KUWABARA**__, page 4]_

I had been so excited last night, knowing that soon everyone would go through the same epiphany I went through. It was pretty hard to sleep. This morning, I was surprised when my mother came into my room early; I was just putting on my glasses and pushing off the covers. She had a strange expression on her face that I couldn't quite read; one of her hands rested on the side of the doorway, still slightly damp from washing dishes.

"Do you have a little time?" she asked, and I nodded dumbly, unsure of what to say. After my affirmation, she sat down on the edge of my bed and indicated that I get out of bed and sit next to her. I did.

"What is it, Okaasan?" Was she still very upset by what I had said? I prayed deep down that she wasn't about to kick me out of the house and leave me on the streets to fend for myself. I don't think I would make a very good homeless man.

She hesitated, unsure of how to say what she wanted to, but that clued me in. It seemed like she wasn't planning on scolding me for my behavior recently. In fact, her sudden smile towards me was a bit gentle and reminiscent—what had I done that caused that? "When you decided not to go to school on Wednesday, I was so angry. You were disobedient and throwing away your life, just because you did not want to go. At that moment, all I wanted to do was force you to go, or punish you."

I winced.

"But then...when I saw that look in your eyes..." She smiled slightly and wrung one pale hand with the other in her lap. "You looked so much like a man who had been pushed beyond his limits. I couldn't stop you, even if I had wanted to. You looked...like your father when someone had upset him and he was just holding all of his feelings tight within his chest. And I spoke with your father about it. It seems to us that you are starting to grow up—faster than we had expected."

I rested my head against her shoulder and held one of her hands a little bit awkwardly but also tenderly with mine. Her fingers closed around mine tightly, and I felt comforted, even thought we rarely had much physical contact. We weren't exactly a touchy-feely type of family. In fact, contact had always been kept to the minimum, even when I had been a little boy. I had learned early on not to run up to my father and cling to his leg whenever I saw him, especially when he brought company home from work. Both my parents viewed it to be improper conduct when displayed to outsiders. But that didn't mean that we didn't love each other...we just never really showed it through hugs or kisses. I guess, thinking about it, it's no surprise that I love journalism and writing. I've always expressed my affection for my family through words or quiet actions.

I felt like I finally could apologize for my early defiance, without feeling like I had betrayed my beliefs. "I...I'm sorry Okaasan. I never intended to be so cruel towards you."

"It's all right Kenta. You're on your way to becoming an adult, and we can afford to be more lenient with you and your actions. But remember, you must be responsible—we will not be so quick to forgive without good reason if you choose to make bad decisions. There are always consequences to your choices, so be careful. But as a Kawasaki, I'm sure you'll do fine." She patted my hand once before getting up. "Now, you better get ready for school. Hop to it!"

Her bossy, no-excuses tone made me smile (inwardly) and I moved to comply, just as if she hadn't just promised me much more freedom from her normal constraints. "Yes Kaasan. And...thanks for understanding." My trained formal tone relaxed a little as she smiled at me before walking out. A weight of guilt had been taken off my shoulders. Today was going to be a good day: my parents weren't angry at me; I could totally call Botan-chan later and see if she was interested in hanging out; my article was on the front page—I can't wait to see how people reacted to the newspaper!

Little did I expect the reaction that did occur after the papers were sent out to the classrooms.

Eagerly, I snatched one up at the end of class, but didn't get a chance to read it till close to the end of the school day. I noticed how people had been giving me funny looks, and I wondered if there was something wrong with my article. Where there crazy spelling mistakes I didn't notice? Did everyone already know that Kuwabara and Yusuke weren't bullies? What?!

When a few more guys randomly came up to me to demand a high-five, I began to feel more and more flustered. This wasn't the reaction I had expected...and why were only guys pleased with me? All the girls were whispering and glaring at me whenever I happened to look at them or meet their gaze in class.

Opening up the paper for myself, I was stunned when a large piece of paper fell out that had been stuck in the middle. It was colorful, unlike the rest of the newspaper. My keen eye for detail immediately dismissed it as not officially part of the newspaper (after working with the paper so long, I know what's what!). Gingerly picking it up though, I began to read it—usually extra papers placed in the middle were advertisements or something like that. But there was something extra strange about this one.

After I finished scanning it, I felt disgust rise in my throat as I understood what the strange looks and thumbs up by some guys were about. This...this piece of garbage was about me! My story had been completely forgotten, as everyone focused instead on this snuck-in article that spoke of how I had managed to woo three different girls in just a few days. Though there was no signature, I recognized the smooth writing; there was only one person who could write like this. Damn you Ren! You sneaky _friggin'_ bastard! He made it sound like I had some sort of tryst with them, and now everyone seems to think that I'm some sort of...**pimp**! The worst part was…no one was going to pay attention to the column about Kuwabara, and how amazing of a man he really is. Instead, these stupid masses would rather eat this trash about me and gossip about how they now saw the signs of me being like this.

Let me lay it out for my beloved readers out there. First there was a _stunning_ (sarcasmsarcasm) introduction about how I was secretly dating Keiko-san behind Yusuke's back, until she discovered that I was cheating on her with Botan-chan, which explained the crying picture of her that Ren had captured with me awkwardly trying to comfort her. Then there was a picture (in full color!) of me and Botan-chan at the carnival, carrying her huge pink dog, followed by a section on how I had gone on to even charming a gentle soul who never had any contact with the outside world with a picture of me and Yukina-san working in Genkai-san's garden. Was he stalking me last week?!

It made sense though. I hadn't been in the newsroom the whole week—easily enough time for Ren to turn everyone against me with doubts about my trustworthiness as a writer, as well as hints at my inability to properly write a paper. He had been doing so for a while now. And this was the moment when I really understood that I had no allies on the paper. I had never taken the time to really make friends; I had always been too intent on keeping Watari-sensei's favor and one-upping everyone else.

Crumbling the whole paper in an angry ball of words, I literally shook with indecision: whether to find Ren right now or try to salvage what was left of my reputation so that people would actually read the story about Kuwabara. I had wanted the story of the century. Unfortunately, it looks like it ended up being about me rather than written by me. I felt sick.

"Kenta-san..." called a hesitant, yet respectful voice behind me, interrupting my angry thoughts.

I reluctantly turned, expecting the worse, but to my surprise it was three other people on the news team. The boy who had spoken was standing in front of the other two, and I realized I had rarely spoken to any of these guys in the past four years though they had all been on the team the whole time.

"We know what Ren-san did to you," piped up the only girl, her brown eyes flaming with anger as one hand came up to tug on the end of one of her braids. "It was completely wrong of him! As reporters, we are supposed to write about the truth, not some made up junk to mess with someone." She looked sad as she twisted the end of her hair unconsciously. "I think he snuck those in right before we started distributing them. Watari-sensei may not do anything about rivalries on the team, but he would never condone _this_!"

I didn't know what to say.

"We had heard that Ren-san was planning something to really get at you, but...not like this. Not these lies. We must apologize for not warning you," said the first boy solemnly.

All three of them suddenly bowed lowly to me, and I protested with some embarrassment. "No, it's all right; it's not your fault."

The boy in front had sandy blonde hair, unusual in Japan, but he looked to be half-Japanese. "We never thought he would go that far. And we will have no part of it." He smiled at me with a big toothy grin and I suddenly recalled a time when I was speaking to a former friend on the news team, making fun of that smile to sound cool. I felt a bit ashamed, and his next words humbled me further. "We read your article about Kuwabara. It was truly amazing!"

The other boy who hadn't spoken yet, interjected quickly. "Not just amazing, it was fantastically written!" His bright eyes shone with brimming emotion, and he stepped forward to face me better, brushing back locks of thick black hair. "Kenta-san, what you wrote was something that we all believe in. People can be so ridiculous in their attempts to look cool; it's almost disgusting! I don't think I'll ever look at Urameshi and Kuwabara in the same light again. This is exactly the reason why I joined the news team!"

As all three of them looked at me with smiles of welcome, I suddenly realized that I had made my first real friends on the news team, people who honestly believed what I believed. People who had been changed by what I wrote. And though it wasn't the whole school that had read my article and learned to be more open-minded, these three were a great start. I knew then, that I had taken a closer step to becoming a man, and I had found others who were willing to grow with me. I hope that in the years to come, in high school and in college, we would be able to change how other people thought to a better way of thinking.

I held out a hand and a smile of my own. "My name is Kawasaki Kenta, and I don't think we've met properly. I hope we can work well together."

They looked at each other in surprise before the girl came forward first to clasp my hand. "I'm Hishigaki Yumi. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her eyes sparkled in a strange mixture of shyness and mischievousness at me, and I had a feeling that things would be very interesting with these three.

"Toshiro Reki. I hope that you will come to my place this Sunday. I'm hosting a small news get together." He smiled a little shyly, and I noted that he seemed to have no idea that he was good looking. Well, if we did become good friends, I would be quick to point this out.

"Hey, don't forget about me! I'm Williams Keith." At my surprise expression, he burst out laughing. "Yeah, my dad's a full-blown American who came to live in Japan. He really wanted to name me and my mom forgave him quickly enough."

We spoke a little longer before I bid them all farewell after exchanging phone numbers. I watched them walk away with a lighter heart than I had ever had before. I actually felt at peace. Who would have thought trying to find the best story would have led me to where I am today?

"Kawasaki!"

I turned with the forgotten, crumpled paper still in my hands. It was Yusuke. He looked really, really (pardon my language, gentle readers) pissed off and ready to kill. I smiled as friendly-like as possible, knowing now that he wasn't the monster I thought he was at the beginning. "Hello Yusuke. Can I help you?"

His anger seemed to grow at my mild response. "The hell you can! What have you been doing, hanging around with Keiko like that, making her cry!" He smacked his fist into his palm and cracked the fingers with ease. "I don't believe that crap about you dating her, but I can see that you must've done something shitty to her. Sure, you two seemed all chummy yesterday, but I bet she was hiding it for my sake! I'm not going to let you hurt her any further!"

Before I could rest his fears at ease and explain everything, a shout rose up from behind me. "KAWASAAAAKI!" It was Kuwabara, running at me with a furious expression. His fist stopped only millimeters from my face as I turned to greet him and instead he grabbed me by the shirt before I could even blink. "Have you been flirting with Yukina? You have, haven't you! She would never deal with the likes of you willingly!"

Yusuke came closer from my back now. "Come on Kuwabara, let's show him what we do to people who mess with girls like that!"

I tried to calm them down. "Wa-wait, this isn't how it happened!" I said helplessly, trying to indicate the paper I had forced into a ball with weak gestures.

"The hell it wasn't!"

I was beginning to see, though they were not the crazy men everyone thought they were, as long as they felt their women were threatened, they would certainly act like demons. I didn't blame them—Ren was really good at convincing people to believe what he wanted with his writing. So I did what any logical, weak animal would do. I bit Kuwabara's arm, pushed passed Yusuke before he could react, and ran off as fast as my legs could let me, hoping that after school, Shuuichi at least would be kind once he heard about the story. Which he undoubtedly would.

"Come back here Kawasaki!"

I respect you and Kuwabara deeply now, Yusuke. But no thanks. Maybe Keiko-san will explain what happened in a few hours when you go to ask her. For now though, I think I'll take a quick jog around the city.

* * *

And that's the ending. Well, thank you everyone who has stuck with me thus far. It was a ton of fun, and I'm quite fond of Kenta. I doubt there'll be any more stories with him, but he was an interesting character in his own right. If anyone's interested in reading more YYH fanfics, I'm definitely starting another one soon. I've got a bit of it laid out, but not completely ready yet. I've been sort of arguing with myself about the title but I think it'll be called **Aging Love**. It'll be a Yusuke x Keiko fanfiction (not that I'm advertising or anything). Thank you for reading!


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